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| The Daily News Online, 9/8/2014 Hidden History: Batavia Stores of 50 years ago |
1.
Answer the following question 8, page 19, in one paragraph of no more than 50 words to prepare for tomorrow's discussion.
Use paragraph # (in the margin), not page numbers to refer to evidence.
In John Updike's short story, "A&P", What do you understand from the conclusion of the story? What does Sammy mean when he acknowledges how hard the world was going to be... hereafter"?
2.
Then, as if you were writing a TW, write a one sentence thesis that would prepare the reader for your analysis.
After reading A&P, I understand that Sammy was fed up with Lengel's harsh rules, but more importantly that Sammy was trying to get the attention of the girls and impress them. When he said that he realizes "how hard the world was going to be...hereafter", he means that his actions are going to stick with him for the rest of his life. He will have to live with the fact that he let Lengel down and it will be on his conscience here on out.
ReplyDelete2. Sammy quits his job because of the presence of the girls and his irritation towards Lengel.
1. I agree with Greg when he says that Sammy was fed up with Lengel's harshness. I also believe that he was looking for an excuse to quit his job, and Lengels treatment of the girls provided Sammy with an opportunity to both attempt to impress the girls as well as quit his tedious job. When Sammy said he felt "how hard the world was going to be ... hereafter" I believe he is realizing the mistake of quitting his job and regretting it. Though his work was tedious it did seem like he got swept up in the moment, and wanted to be "...the unsuspected hero" (paragraph 21). After realizing that his gesture meant very little to nothing to the girls, as he notices in paragraph 31, "I look around for my girls, but they're gone, of course".
ReplyDelete2.In Updike's short story "A&P" Sammy quits his job in an attempted act of heroism and dislike of his manager, an action that he regrets immediately after
1. In acknowledging how hard the world will be after his actions, Sammy means he will struggle with moving on from what he did and saw that day at the A&P. Firstly, he quit, disappointing his boss, parents, and even himself. Secondly, the girl he refers to as "Queenie" is in his mind a perfect person who he will not find anywhere else in his future.
ReplyDelete2. By quitting his job at the A&P, Sammy is setting himself up for a set of challenges both real and exaggerated by his young mind.
1. Sammy was fed up with Lengel and the way that he managed the A&P so when the opportunity to quit and look like a hero came he took it. So when Sammy acknowledges how hard the world was going to be hereafter he was acknowledging the consequences of his actions.
ReplyDelete2. Although Sammy needed his job at the A&P, he was willing to quit in order to make a statement to his boss and to appear a hero to the girls that he objectified.
I agree with both Alanna and Greg when they said Sammy was fed up with Lengel's rules. I also agree that he was looking for a reason to quit his job based on his opinions of the costumers and his boss. When Sammy says "how hard the world was going to be...hereafter" he is referring to his regret of quitting his job. 2. In his attempt to make a rebellious decision to quit his job and finally show his boss Sammy actually found himself with regret.
ReplyDeleteSammy needed an opportunity to stand up fro himself and the girls coming into the store was a perfect one. Lengel who Sammy couldn't stand any more said some things to the girls and Sammy thought this was the opportunity to look like a hero and also quit his job.
ReplyDelete2. Sammy's juvenile mind forces him to quite his job to prove a point to his boss who doesn't get along with him and also to appear as a hero to the girls.
1. Acknowledging “how hard the world was going to be…hereafter” (#31) Sammy has, in a moment, realized that actions, noble or not, have consequences. Although in principle Lengel was wrong, Sammy didn’t get the satisfaction he wanted by quitting. His stomach probably fell because it was filled with regret and disappointment.
ReplyDelete2. In life, we often have to weigh our actions with both their impact and their consequences
1.I think by the quote “how hard the world was going to be…hereafter” (#31) Sammy realized how impulsive quitting his job was, and that it was a mistake since he had let down someone he knew personally while trying to get attention of the girls, who were total strangers.
ReplyDelete2.In an attempt to glorify himself to the girls, Sammy quit his job but immediately regrets it as the decision did not fulfill him in the way he had hoped it would.
1. I agree with Greg that Sammy was finally fed up with Lengal and the customers and had a perfect chance to quit. He thought he'd look like a hero in from of the three girls after quiting but right after he did he was disappointed. He let down Lengal, trying to impress the girls who he would most likly never talk to in his life.
ReplyDelete2. Sammy's spir of the moment decision to quit his job turned out to be a disappointment without any satisfaction.
1. I think that the quote at the end, "how hard the world will be" (paragraph 31), sort of shows that the story is about a boy becoming a man. That quote shows that he now realizes the universe won't always go his way. He knows that the world won't bend to his wishes, and will be harder than it is. Quitting his job in a failed attempt at impressing the girls showed him that. He mentions numerous times about the things his mom did for him, showing he has had most of the things he needs done for him.
ReplyDelete2. Sammy's failed attempt at impressing women by quitting his job was the catalyst for a coming of age story about realizing what the real world is like.
8. The moment Sammy leaves A&P, the realization of how hard the world will be hits Sammy hard as he says. Sammy acknowledges how difficult keeping a job could be in the future. His selfish desire to quite in order to impress women will be costly to his mother (who ironed his clothes for that day inferring she wants him to keep that job) and to himself by now making him jobless. When outside the A&P at the very end he sees a young married girl with a baby screaming, this uncovers the reality that someday he will be in that position as well as becoming someone like Lengel working in an A&P.
ReplyDelete2. Sammy’s selfish act to be a hero for the girls in the store turns into a costly mistake and a wake up call.
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ReplyDeleteWhen Sammy walks out of A&P, the realization of what he has just done hits him. When he quit, he was caught up in the moment after witnessing Lengel's harsh words and actions towards the girls. He did this mainly to impress the girls, but also to rebel against Lengel's overreaction and harsh policies. By acknowledging how hard the world is going to be hereafter, he sees the repercussions that his decision has on his entire life.
ReplyDelete2. After his spur of the moment decision to quit his job, Sammy has to face the harsh reality that he is unemployed, and that he has disappointed himself, his family, and his manager.
Like others have said, when Sammy walks out of A&P, after quitting, he comes to realize exactly what he had just done, sort of like an epiphany. He knows is going to carry this action with him in his future, and it doesn't have the outcome that he thought it would have. Disappointed and alone, he says "I look around for my girls, but they're gone, of course"(paragraph 31). The feelings that he thought would come with quitting, were high expectations that simply would not come with making that mistake. It is then, that he acknowledges how hard the world is going to be "hereafter" because he understands that there are consequences that come with actions.
ReplyDeleteSammy's quick attempt to become the hero lands him in a spot with nothing but disappointment, regret, and a harsh reality that he will come face to face with everyday for the rest of his life.
1. After reading A&P, it is understandable that Sammy didn’t have a very thorough understanding of his future. He thought that if the girls saw that he quit to stick up for them, Queenie would thank him, go on a date with him, or something along those lines. However, the girls had gone out the door before he quit, and didn’t acknowledge his “heroism”. Sammy acknowledges after he quits that it was a regrettable decision. He quit for the main reason of impressing the girls, and since the girls didn’t witness his quitting for them, he had nowhere to go. His “heroism” bought him his parents’ disappointment. The world is going to be hard for Sammy because he didn’t get his expected reward.
ReplyDelete2. Sammy’s rash decision to quit working at the A&P was made without thinking it through, and was regrettable soon after.
1. After reading A&P, it is understood by the conclusion that Sammy still has an immature mind and is learning the true meaning of consequence. Sammy "so boldy" and "heroically" announces that he is quitting his job after his manager gives the girls a hard time. Now, what makes this move immature is that Sammy did not need to quit, the manager had every right to say what he said, their store has a dress code policy that the girls violated; yes he could've delivered the message more kindly and yes he could've been more polite about the subject, but he did no wrong. Sammy had plenty of other options to choose from if he really cared that much about the well being of the girls. He could've talked to the manager more about it, he could've stuck up for the girls, he had a lot more options to choose from then simply throwing in the towel and calling it quits. What was learned was the power of consequence; Sammy announced he was quitting and not wanting to go back on his word, had to follow through with the action even though the girls did not admire him for quitting like he wanted them too.
ReplyDeleteWhen Sammy acknowledges "how hard the world is going to be...hereafter" he is taking his small encounter as a label for life in a nutshell. He did what he thought would be heroic, was unnoticed, and lost his job. All negative reactions to what he thought would be positive. Sammy's acknowledgment of that portrays a pessimistic outlook he may have due to the events that occurred.
2. Sammy's immature mind, wandering eye, and questionable act of heroism lead to him quitting his job and facing the consequences of his own actions.
1. #8: I think the conclusion of the story as well as Sammy's statement at the end is about decision making and the inclusion of pride in your character. Sometimes it is good to have a sense of pride, other times it hurts you. I think Sammy means that for now on it is going to be difficult for him to pick his battles and to know when it isn't worth it.
ReplyDelete2. Sammy's closing statement at the end of the story means that for the rest of his life he would struggle with making tough decisions.
1. After reading the A&P it is understood that Sammy's action of quitting was a direct result of his immaturity and lack of heroism. He chose to quit because of the way Lengel treated the girls, thinking that they would appreciate or notice his actions and be their "hero", but in reality his action most likely went unnoticed and therefore was an impulse of stupidity because it was for the wrong reasons.
ReplyDelete2. In The A&P, Sammy's rational decision to quit was a direct result of his immaturity and lack of understanding of his future, all for the act of mock heroism.