A&P

The customers in "A&P" serve as foils for Queenie and the girls. They are the dull, ordinary people that Sammy perceives himself stuck with, while the girls represent the exotic and desirable...

Updike demonstrates the difference in economic and social class between "Queenie" and Sammy through setting, appearance, and contrasting home lives. Upper-class Queenie definitely does not fit in the...

Queenie is a stock character in "A & P." She has little personality, and the story unfolds around her. We have no idea of her thoughts or feelings. However, she represents many values that are...

In "A & P," John Updike uses connotation to convey deeper meanings and emotions. For instance, Sammy describes his manager Lengel using words like "haggling" and "scuttle," which imply pettiness...

In contrast to the adult, Mr. Lengel, who enforces rules that are sedate and conventional, Sammy is young and romantic in his perceptions of the world. Queenie is somewhat defiant and self-centered....

Sammy calls the girl “Queenie” because she is both the leader of her group of friends and someone who conducts and carries herself in a rather regal way, despite her casual attire and surroundings....

Sammy is fascinated by the three girls in "A&P" because they defy social norms by wearing bathing suits in the store, which is unusual and rebellious. He is particularly drawn to "Queenie," who...

Queenie's detailed portrait in "A&P" highlights her as the object of Sammy's infatuation, emphasizing his youthful, superficial mindset. Her depiction as regal, confident, and socially superior...

The three girls are all wearing swimsuits. Readers are told that the suits are bikinis and that Queenie is especially attractive.