Notice how artfully Updike arranges details to set the story in a perfectly ordinary supermarket. What details stand out as particularly true to life? What does this close attention to detail contribute to the story?
In the beginning of A&P, the author begins by giving his account of how he first encountered the three girls with bathing suits. He tells the story in a way that makes you feel that you were actually there with him and feeling all his emotions. When he said that he was distracted by them and forgot if he rang up a box of crackers that resonated with me because I myself work at the cash register in the pharmacy and at times I become distracted and forget whether or not I rung something up. That moment in the story made the author relatable and as he continued to input specific details of happenings in supermarket it makes a reader think of their local supermarket. Particularly when he was discussing "Queenie" walking down the isle and then rambled off about customers being so caught up in their grocery lists they wouldn't notice a piece of dynamite going off. Anyone that has been in a grocery store has had someone not paying attention bump into something, him, or her because the person was so into their list. Also when he discussed the women with multiple children and varicose veins being regular shoppers it is true to life because as a cashier in a supermarket that is your usual customer; mothers.
Updike gives a thorough chronological account of the events from the point the girls entered the store until the point where they actually leave. He keeps readers interested with small tidbits of comic relief and his own personal thoughts after summarizing what happened in that exact part of the supermarket. He also gave extremely vivid descriptions of the three girls and pointed out even the smallest details that allowed me as the reader to envision the story and understand the events clearly. After finishing the text, I have no questions about anything in the story. This is because of the way he chose to write his views and have his voice is heard.
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