Updike’s short story, “A&P” takes place in a small conservative town. Sammy the protagonist struggles between conforming and rebelling against the conservative society of the 1960s. I argue that the narrator’s point of view, setting, and dialogue relates to Sammy being overwhelmed by internal struggle, power and pain. These rhetorical devices will allow younger audiences to feel Sammy’s struggle.
The first person narrator Sammy has an internal struggle between conformity and rebelling against the status quo. The story begins by Sammy stating, "In walks these three girls in nothing but bathing suits. I'm in the third check-out slot, with my back to the door, so I don't see them until they're over by the bread". The first sentence establishes a connection and draws interest to readers. Sammy’s colloquial tone allows younger adults to relate to Sammy and the position he is in. Also his tone allows readers to experience the situation at first- hand. Although the reader’s view of the character is limited through Sammy lens and what he sees as his truth, he shifts back and forth of his limited opinion of people he sees For example, he refers people as sheep’s and followers. The author incorporates the use of animals and clothing as symbols in ways to characterize the town and people throughout the course of the story. Sheep’s are described as close group animals that do the same routines and don’t have a mind of their own. This symbolizes how the people in this town are not risk-takers and the girls walking half naked into the store was out of the ordinary. Sammy’s point of view is that everyone is always in conformity in the community standard, but changes when he witnesses the girls rebelling against the status quo. His fascination with the girls allows readers to get a better a better view of his insight to the characters. For example, he states, "She had sort of oaky hair that the sun and salt had bleached, done up in a bun that was unraveling, and a kind of prim face". Describing Queenie in details revealed Sammy’s obsession he had toward her and calls a Queen as opposed to a sheep follower.
Sammy is also overwhelmed by power. This can be seen by him stating, “She didn't look around, not this queen, she just walked straight on slowly, on these long white prima donna legs”. He is more sympathetic towards her and romantic in a way. Sammy is seduced by Queenie self-confidence in particular, when she defends her choice of clothing to the appalled store manager, Lengel. Lengel is upset that his authority is being challenged and especially by the three young girls. The girls are very aware of the power of seduction and don’t buckle when confronted about their sexuality. The desire for power transforms the boring setting into a battlefield. All eyes are on their girls as they navigate through the grocery. The fact that the girls didn’t pay any attention to the customers in the store, especially the male customers, shows their sense of power. A power struggle ensues between the girls and Lengel as he desperately tries to assert his authority. We see through Sammy lens that Lengel is torn between his sexual desire for the girls and maintaining his position of power. He resorts to ridicule the girls to get them to respect the social norms. The bathing suit becomes more than a piece of garment, but a reflection of the conservative period of the 60s in where the young people are desperately trying to break from.
When the manager screamed at the girls and threw them out of the store, Sammy felt pain. This can be seen by Sammy stating,” You didn’t have to embarrass them.” Sammy’s dialogue towards his manager expresses the character’s loss of respect that he once had for him and he begins to question his future at the grocery store. The power and confidence the girl’s exuded inspired Sammy to break free from his internal struggle and pain as well allowed him to take control of his destiny. Sammy starts to pull the bow at the back of his apron and start shrugging it off his shoulders. Taking questionable pain and pleasure into reason when making decisions, he quits his job in hopes that this will attract the girls. He is aware that his painful decision will have major repercussions in his life that will last for a long time. However, the girls left without having the opportunity to hear Sammy breakthrough. Even though Sammy finally rebelled against the status quo he left with doubt about his future, but refuses to follow the conventional path. That day Sammy got a taste of both power and pain.
In conclusion, this paper demonstrated how the narrator’s point of view, setting, and dialogue related to Sammy being overwhelmed by internal struggle, power and pain. Also, these rhetorical devices allowed younger audiences to feel Sammy’s struggle.

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[ 1 ]. Updike, John. “A&P” Literature: Reading, Reacting, Writing. 8th ed. Eds. Laurie G. Kirszner and Stephen R Mandell. Boston: Rosenberg, Michael, 2007. 142-146. Print.
[ 2 ]. 143
[ 3 ]. Ibid p.143
[ 4 ]. 142
[ 5 ]. 146
[ 6 ]. Ibid p.146