AP by John Updike and Araby by James Joyce Essay examples

The two stories I chose are AP by John Updike and Araby by James Joyce. Both stories tell a tale of social and philosophical differences of middle class adolescent boys, when compared to the adults in the stories. In the short story AP by John Updike, the story is told in a first person narrative of a teenage boy working as a cashier in an AP grocery store on a hot summer day. The story begins with the teenage boy named Sammy becoming preoccupied by a group of three teenage girls that walk into the grocery store wearing bathing suits. Sammy admires the girls beauty as most nineteen year old adolescent boys would, in a slightly lewd and immature nature. His grammar is flawed and he is clearly not of an upper-class family, his†¦show more content†¦Sammy philosophical differences first show in his feeling sorry for the girls at the way McMahon, the butcher had leered at them, even though Sammy himself was guilty of the same lewd conduct. I believe Sammy thought it acceptable for him to leer at the girls, but not for old McMahon because of the difference in age between Sammy and McMahon. Sammys philosophical differences culminate with him quitting his job because of the way his boss, Lengel, treated the girls. Even though Lengel states its the store policy and it applies to everyone, Sammy views this as unfair treatment of the girls and uses this to take a stand for his beliefs and quits. Sammy realizes the magnitude of his philosophical decision when he walks out and finds the girls are gone and nothing has changed. Sammy realizes he has made a choice and he must stick to that choice even though nothing has changed. The decision he made was his choice based on his personal belief of right and wrong, even if Mr. Lengel and his parents couldnt understand that. In the short story Araby by James Joyce, the story is told in a unnamed first person narrative of an adolescent boy who is infatuated with theShow MoreRelatedA P by John Updike and Araby by James Joyce573 Words   |  2 PagesIn the short story AP, John Updike uses the power of desire as his theme. The girls, knowing it was not ethical, walk into the market with bathing suits and catch the eyes of the male workers. As the girls are acting innocent, they walk around as the guys just watch what the girls are going to do next. In many ways, taunting the males and walking in the grocery store was going against conformity, thus, leaving the girls embarrassed and shy when they are confronted by the manager of the store. InRead MoreJohn Updike s A P And James Joyce s Araby1877 Words   |  8 PagesComing-of-age is a chapter that every individual must inevitably trek through in order to grow and mature into one’s own self. 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That the man does, indeed, discover the difference is what sets him off into emotional collapse. One of the main similarities between the two stories is the fact that the mainRead MoreA P And Araby By James Joyce1200 Words   |  5 Pages AP by John Updike and Araby by James Joyce are two short stories that have multiple differences and similarities. AP is about a teenager and his lust for young ladies and Araby is about a young boy who had a crush on a older girl. I will be comparing and contrasting the portrayal of women, love and epiphany in the two short stories AP and Araby. I believe women are portrayed negatively in AP. I have came to this conclusion because I believe Sammy treats the â€Å"Queenie† positively but treatsRead MoreCompare And Contrast Araby And A P Short Story999 Words   |  4 Pagesstories â€Å"AP† by John Updike and â€Å"Araby† by James Joyce both reflect coming of age stories. In the story AP, the narrator, Sammy quits his job to stand up for the three girls wearing â€Å"nothing but their bathing suits†() In the story Araby, the narrator shows himself growing up through discovering his sexuality. In the stories AP and Araby there are strong similarities in the plot and setting, however they are also different in the imagery and figurative language. The setting in â€Å"AP† takes place