English Comp II: John Updike A&P

John Updike's A&P was an interesting read, especially for me because I work at a grocery store, just as the narrator of the story does, and am only one year older than the narrator. Because of this, I can closely relate to some of the things he talks about in this story, especially the thing he talks about most, becoming distracted (and very easily I might add) by the beautiful women who choose to shop in his store. In Updike's story, three women come to shop at A&P. He describes them, including how they are dressed in bathing suits, but mainly chooses to focus on one in particular, whom he calls Queen or Queenie. He gives a very detailed description of her, mentioning things like the color of her bathing suit, her hair, her face, the way her bathing suit is being worn, he even mentions how she walks. It is my opinion that in this story Updike is paying tribute to the power some women possess just by their looks. Even though Updike does this, he ends the story by showing that looks aren't enough to capture the attention of every man when Lengel, the narrator's boss, sternly reminds the girls that they are not at the beach and the next time they choose to shop at A&P they need to dress in a more decent manner.