摘 要： 厄普代克是一位心理现实主义作家,他的大部分作品是以现实主义为基础的。且总是把注意力集中在普通的“小人物”身上，通过对他们生活的描写反映个人和社会之间的矛盾。比如短篇小说A&P，在这部小说里，作者以波士顿附近的食品商场为背景，通过对男主人公Sammy,商场经理Lengel,店员Stokesie对三个只穿着泳装女孩的不同态度的描写，向我们真实的展现了美国20世纪60年代不同阶层下不同人物的内心世界。
关键词：厄普代克； 萨米； 伦格尔； 传统； 反叛
Ⅰ. Introduction about the author and the story
John Updike is one of the America's most prominent contemporary authors and most of his works set a true picture of a certain period about America. The critics consider that “he is the accurate recorder of the history”. And Updike thinks nowadays the problems human being face is to get rid of the mediocre life, making the life colorful. So, he always focuses on the common people's lives, through description theirs’ behavior, speech, attitude, showing his opinion about the moral, sex or religion, such as A&P.
The A&P was first published in the July 22,1961, issued of the New Yorker and was published again the following year in the author's collections “the Pigeon Feathers and Other Stories”. After that, A&P has been established as John Updike’s most widely read short story. The setting of the story is in a small resort town in Massachusetts at the A&P grocery store. The protagonist, Sammy, is a nineteen years old boy, a cashier at the store. He sees his surroundings as being mundane and non- interesting. One day, when three girls walks into the store in nothing but two piece bathing suits, of course, quickly notice by Sammy. He changes his focus towards the three girls. Sammy is especially intrigued with one girl in particular, giving her the nickname Queenie. When the manager who was called Lengel, comes in, he notices and embarrassed Queenie and her friends. Maybe Sammy wants to catch the girls’ attention. Before they leaving, he said “I quit”. The girls have heard him, but they paid no attention to their hero. Sammy's decision will make his life much harder.
Ⅱ.The America's situation in 1960s
At first glance, Updike’s short story “A&P” seems to be another coming of age piece. But a deeper look it reveals many ways in which the A&P grocery store can be viewed as a microcosm of America society in 1960s. The title Atlantic and Pacific, implies the whole America. Because from Atlantic to Pacific is just where the whole America located. Updike also sets the A&P as a supermarket and in the story also sets a lot of modern commodities. From this we can see America’s economy is very prosperous at that time. In fact, after worldⅡ, America's economy is developing very fast but the society is not stable. Many conflicts and assassinations occur in the country. Therefore, many people lose the enthusiasm to the politic and social reform. The youth tried to improve their minds but they are always directionless. Such as Sammy, set by John Updike in the short story A&P.
III. Analysis of Sammy’s Inner World-- His rebellion towards the tradition
According to the introduction about America in 1960s above-mentioned, we can draw a conclusion that America's 1960s is a traditional and unconventional coexist period. In the story A&P, John Updike illustrates the two sides of the 1960s: one side being rebellious youth and the other side being the rigid establishment of the elders. Sammy and the three young girls are representatives of the youth, but Lengel is on the elder side. In the story, we can see the clash between them is the same as the battle between these two sides in the 1960s. Now, I'd like to start with the younger ones.
Sammy’s rebellion is lay out clearly when the three bikini girls walk into the A&P grocery store. Their dress immediately intrigues those who always follow a certain regime everyday, conservative people. And they dislike the girls’ appearance; think they are out of place. But the girls do not bother Sammy. By contraries, he is naturally curious and interested in them. He finds their bodies beautiful, as much of the narrative describes his reaction to their movements. Sammy does not find the girls dress inappropriate or immoral, only shocking and daring. From this, we can see that Sammy’s chase about beauty is totally different with the conventional standards.
Secondly, in the short story A&P, when the manager Lengel scolds the girls’ attire, repeating the words “This is not the beach”. Sammy doesn’t consider it is a serious thing, instead, he feels Lengel’s words are funny, sees “as if it had occurred to him, and he had been thinking all these years the A&P was a big sand dune and he was the head lifeguard.” When Lengel mentions that the policy of the A&P is to have one’s shoulders covered while shopping, Sammy notes, “policy is just what the kingpins want, what the others want is juvenile delinquency.” When he decides to quit, he tells Mr. Lege
nd that “You didn’t have to embarrass them.” So, in Sammy’s inner world he really disagrees, and totally objects to the traditional rules and does not want to comply with the rules at all.
IV. Conclusion
In A&P, Lengel is a loyalist to the tradition, and do everything with certain rules. Of course, conform to the customs set by the society is very important, but such a person like Lengel is too reaction. We know, many things around us are changing everyday. So, instead of denying, we should learn to accept the new things. Only in that way, our society will develop faster and faster, our lives will be better and better. In fact, Sammy is an inevitable social product at that time. Some young people always do some ridiculous things or make hasty decisions without careful consideration, lead themselves into a much harder life. Through Sammy, Updike also shows us that the individual’s force is so small when one attempts to fight against the traditional customs or morals, so one must abide by the certain rules and regulations. In today’s society, it is also the same. As an independent person, we indeed have much freedom but it bases on certain rules.
Bibliography
赵淳. 爱欲与反动--对约翰.厄普代克A&P之主题思考四川外语学院学报 1998
