Infatuation In A & P By John Updike

1301 Words6 Pages
In life there is love but when it goes too far or is not reciprocated there is infatuation. Unlike love infatuation is usually one sided with nothing being reciprocated. Infatuation arises as a theme in the short stories A&P and Araby. A&P, by John Updike, tells the story of a 19 teen-year-old boy working at A&P when one day three girls walk in. They are scantily clad, after just coming from the beach, and are noticed by everyone in the story especially the teen who becomes infatuated over one of the girls, Queenie. He sees Queenie as the leader of the group and loves everything about her. However his boss does not love her he dreads her for her attire and promptly tells the girls to leave. Being partly infuriated and partly trying to…show more content…
In A&P and Araby the theme of infatuation arises in the main character’s infatuation over a girl; this infatuation is shown by the main character’s in depth knowledge of the girl, belief that everything about the girl is amazing, and willingness to do anything to make the…show more content…
Sammy describes Queenie with so much detail. “She came down a little hard on her heels...extra action into” (Updike 1). He is describing her with a level of depth that would not be expected of someone he had not only just meet, but just saw for the first time. When a person knows someone for a long time they begin to notice the little things about that person. They know every little tick, the things the persons does that they themselves do not even realize themselves. However Sammy has just met Queenie infact he has not even met her, he has not talked to her, he has just seen her. Yet he already knows the little unique things she does. He knows how she walked a little differently, with more confidence and power. This level of scrutiny in his description of someone he has barely even met shows his obsession with her. A high level of knowledge for a person despite the limited social interactions with that person is also seen in Araby. In Araby the Narrator knows so much about Megan's sister despite the fact that they had only exchanged a few words of speech. In contempt of this fact he knows so much about her including her daily routine. He knows this information by following her which he openly admits. “Every morning i lay on the floor...and followed her” (Joyce 1). The
Show More
Related

  • A & P By John Updike Analysis

    1061 Words  | 5 Pages

    In John Updike’s short story “A&P” we find ourselves placed in the mind of a 19-year-old boy seeking the attention and acceptance from the opposite sex. As many young men, Sammy’s knowledge of repercussions to his premature actions places him in a predicament that develops everlasting consequences. As a result of his impulsive actions Sammy has placed himself in a predicament that will have an overarching effect on his family, his employment, along with an undefined future. The beginning of the

    Read More

More about Infatuation In A & P By John Updike

Open Document