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Gilman 5

Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Professor Nathaniel Hawthorne

ENC 1102

3 July 2028

Importance of Environment

When individuals read a story, they should be aware of the location where the story takes place, as well as the context in which it was written. Both the temporal and physical settings of a story can impact a character’s values, beliefs, and actions. It is vital to understand the significance of the setting; otherwise, the reader may entirely miss the meaning of a written work. In John Updike’s short story “A&P,” the physical setting of the grocery store and the temporal setting of 1962 influence the characters’ interactions and decisions throughout the story.

Every location has unwritten societal rules that are expected to be followed, and the physical setting of the grocery store in “A&P” is no different. In the story, three girls who enter the A&P store wearing only bathing suits are told their clothing is inappropriate for the situation. The manager, Lengel, tells them, “We want you decently dressed when you come in here. . . . After this come in here with your shoulders covered. It’s our policy” (Updike 441). Grocery stores are private property, and it is within their rights to restrict access and even ban people from entering. Kathleen Wilson, the editor of the article “A&P,” points out that “Today, it is common for businesses to post signs stating the rules of their premises: ‘No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service. . . .’” Although there is no sign to inform the girls that their dress is improper, it was common knowledge at the time that a bathing suit was not appropriate attire for shopping. However, the girls in the story do not think their behavior is wrong. One of the girls argues that they “just came in for one thing” and that they “are decent” (Updike 441). Sammy, a cashier and the main character of the story, agrees with the girls and quits his job to stand up for them, but when one considers the physical setting, it is reasonable to expect the girls to follow the dress code when buying products on the store’s property, despite Sammy’s opinion.

The temporal setting in “A&P” has even greater effect on the characters’ actions than the physical setting does. The story is set in 1962, the same year it was written. During this time, “conservative dress mirrored conservative social values. Conformity was the measure of popularity as well as a measure of moral rightness” (“A&P”). Because society greatly valued conformity, Sammy’s decision to quit his job would likely be received negatively. Depending on the size of his community, it may affect his reputation and future job prospects. This contextual information gives greater meaning to Lengel’s comment, “You’ll feel this for the rest of your life” (Updike 442). At the very end of the story, even Sammy acknowledges that he may receive harsh backlash for his decision: “. . . my stomach kind of fell as I felt how hard the world was going to be to me hereafter” (Updike 443). It may seem incredibly foolish of Sammy to quit his job so abruptly, but his motivation can be partly explained with knowledge of the temporal setting. The story is set during the Cold War, and many people debated “whether Communism offered real class change . . .” (Caldwell). People began to wonder if Communism offered a better solution to class inequality. This debate was a result of the conformist mindset that was prevalent during the 1950s and 1960s. Pressuring people to fit specific and rigid societal roles alienated many people, especially minorities and the poor, which led directly to rebellions against conformity, especially by youth (“Voices against Conformity”). In the journal article “John Updike’s ‘A&P,’” Tracey Caldwell argues that “Both Sammy and the girls attempt to disrupt the order in the market, and whether they are conscious of it or not, they respond to the civil unrest of the day.” Although Sammy’s motivations for quitting his job may be as simple as wanting to impress some attractive girls in skimpy clothing, he may also want to rebel against the societal standards that dictate people’s fashion choices. If Sammy’s decision is interpreted with the temporal setting in mind, his decision to quit is justifiable. Despite there being “little positive incentive for Sammy to act as he did” because “they [iconoclasts] were never sanctioned by the mainstream” (Caldwell), Sammy may have been trying to bring about positive societal change in any small way he could, even if it meant sacrificing his job.

Knowledge of the setting of a story is often necessary for a reader to understand the intricacies of an author’s work, and John Updike’s short story “A&P” is no exception. The physical setting of the grocery store contributes to the conflict of the story. The girls are embarrassed in front of other shoppers because their dress is inappropriate for the location. The temporal setting of the year 1962 heavily influences the characters’ reactions to events. Sammy’s decision to quit his job is likely influenced by the Cold War and the heated debate over Communism that was occurring in this temporal setting. Had the short story taken place in a modern-day gas station, events would have unfolded very differently, further proving the importance of setting in written works.

Works Cited

“A&P.” Short Stories for Students, edited by Kathleen Wilson, vol. 3, Gale, 1998, pp. 1-21.

Gale Virtual Reference Library, db29.linccweb.org/login?url=http://go.galegroup.com.db29.linccweb.org/ps/i.do?p=GVRL&sw=w&u=lincclin_vcc&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CCX2695000011&asid=454691575d9e4584c27cab2df615ab86. Accessed 3 Jul. 2028.

Caldwell, Tracey M. “John Updike’s ‘A&P.’” Literary Contexts in Short Stories: John

Updike’s ‘A&P,’ Mar. 2006, pp. 1-7. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lkh&AN=18897162&site=lrc-plus. Accessed 3 Jul. 2028.

Updike, John. “A&P.” The Norton Introduction to Literature, edited by Kelly J. Mays, portable

12th edition, Norton, 2017, pp. 437-443.

“Voices against Conformity.” Ushistory.org, Independence Hall Association, 2017,

http://www.ushistory.org/us/53f.asp. Accessed 3 Jul. 2018.