A & P Summary
John Updike

A & P Overview

John Updike's celebrated and often-anthologized story "A & P" was first published in the July 22, 1961 issue of The New Yorker. The story focuses on Sammy, a 19-year-old man who works at a small supermarket. The narrative unfolds in real time as Sammy speaks to the reader using both the first and second person points of view. When three young women dressed in swimsuits enter the store and the conflict at the center of the story unfolds, Sammy recognizes an opportunity to interrupt his own slow descent into adulthood, responsibility, and a mundane life. The story includes themes such as the nature of courage, the importance of independent thinking, and the impact of class differences.