"A&P"
by John Updike
Desire to find Love
In the short story "A&P" by John Updike, Sammy's desire for love takes on the form of desire for attention and praise, for he consciously quits his job to be the girls' "hero", expressed as the ex-cashier narrates, "...so I say 'I quit' to Lengel quick enough for them to hear, hoping they'll stop and watch me, their unsuspected hero" (152). Because Sammy distinctly states that he wants to be the girls "hero", he proves that he is acting on his desire for admiration. His rash decision to act is purely for the attention of three girls he does not even know, and his actions prove to be in vain. Had the girls not entered the store, or had they even been wearing bathing suits, Sammy would not have acted as he did and put himself in a bad situation merely for praise. His desire for compliments proves to be his downfall in the story, revealing that before a person acts, they should fully think out what the consequences of their actions are, and if they are worth the trouble.
Lack of direction
Sammy's lack of direction stems from his inability to prevent a mistake, for he realizes that he has created a problem for himself and should fix it but does not know how to. This realization of fault and inability to correct his mistake is expressed as Sammy narrates, "But it seems to me that once you begin a gesture it's fatal not to go through with it" (152). Normally when a person realizes they have made a mistake, they correct their actions and apologize for any inconvenience it caused. However, because he does not know how to correct his mistake in a non-"fatal" manner, Sammy continues with his problem and ultimately reaches his downfall because of it. His pride in his choices and desire not to look weak in front of his boss by admitting he made a mistake is something that many teenagers today deal with, for there is no class in school or lesson on how to fix mistakes and deal with problems. However, a person can gain critical knowledge about fixing their mistakes in an appropriate manner without any harmful consequences through experience. Humans are imperfect and will always make mistakes, but the important part of the matter is knowing how to fix them.
Realization of Truth
The truth realized in "A&P" is that being the "hero" of a story is not always rewarding. Sammy's regret for his actions and understanding of this lesson is revealed as the ex-cashier narrates, "...my stomach kind of fell as I felt how hard the world was going to be to me hereafter" (153). Despite the fact that Sammy had done what he thought was the heroic thing to do, he recognizes that his decision to quit his job in pursuit of attention and praise was very rash and stupid. Had he simply shut his mouth and thought for a moment before acting, his life would not have gotten "hard" and he could have continued living in the comfort he previously had. However, he made a reckless decision to be the hero of the story and suffered the consequences because of it. This is an important lesson for teenagers today, for it relates to the idea that a person should always think before they act, because sometimes doing what is heroic may not always be the same as doing what is smart.
Rebellion
In the case of "A&P", rebellion takes on its classic definition of standing up for what one believes is right rather than what authority declares or establishes as correct. Sammy's form of rebellion involves quitting his job to be a "hero" to the three girls whom Lengel embarrassed, explained when Lengel and Sammy say, "'I don't think you know what you're saying,' Lengel said. 'I know you don't,' I said. 'But I do'" (152). Because Sammy did not simply sit by and watch something he temporarily believed was not morally right and justified, he does in fact become the hero in the story for imposing the justice he believes is necessary to the story. However, this rebellion was unnecessary and originated from a desire for praise and attention, which reveals Sammy's selfish and egotistic nature. In this case, Sammy would have been in a better position if he had not rebelled and instead truly thought about the decision he was making. His rebellion led to his downfall, revealing that sometimes fighting for what a person believes is right is not always the best decision.
Superficiality
Sammy's decision to quit his job proves to originate from superficial desires and feelings, for if he had not cared about what the three strangers thought of him, he would not have made the choice that led to his downfall. The ex-cashier's superficiality is revealed when he describes his desire for attention from the girls, expressed as Sammy narrates, "...so I say, 'I quit' to Lengel quick enough for them to hear, hoping they'll stop and watch me, their unsuspected hero" (152). Stating that he hoped the girls would "stop and watch" him reveals Sammy's obsession with his image in the minds of the girls. This desire to make a good impression on the strangers proves his superficiality, for he strongly cares for their opinions of him. Sammy's reckless decision made due to his superficiality leads to his downfall, revealing that often in worrying about what other people think of them, a person tends to forget about themselves and what their place in the world is. After all, once someone stops caring about themselves and solely obsesses over others, a loss of identity is inevitable.
"BArbie Doll"
by Marge Piercy
Corruption
In the poem "Barbie Doll" by Marge Piercy, corruption takes the form of superficiality. Despite the fact that the girl described in the poem is fully functioning and healthy, others are unable to look past her flaws and see the greatness she is, revealed when Piercy writes, "She was healthy, tested intelligent,/possessed strong arms and back,/abundant sexual drive and manual dexterity./She went to and fro apologizing./Everyone saw a fat nose on thick legs" (L 7-11). The girl is a very capable individual who has no major flaws and, medically and scientifically, is perfectly normal. However, others find the need to criticize her and point out her flaws, revealing the evil, jealousy, and cruelty of the world. Society is like a person with special glasses that only sees the bad in others. What is worse is that the "flaws" others are noticing in her do not have to do with her personality, but rather solely her appearance. The criticism from others is purely superficial, for the hatred does not even go past how she looks. Sadly, this girl is only one in many, for this form of corruption is present everywhere in society and is almost completely unavoidable. The only thing a person can do to prevent a downfall like the girl in this poem had is to build up a strong confidence in themselves and only rely on their own opinion, rather than the critiques and thoughts of others.
Desire to Find Love
The girl in the poem does not desire any specific type of love, but simply the emotion of love and the feeling of acceptance. She constantly tries to change herself in pursuit of this approval, revealed as Piercy writes, "She was advised to play coy,/exhorted to come on hearty,/exercise, diet, smile and wheedle./Her good nature wore out/like a fan belt./So she cut off her nose and her legs/and offered them up" (L 12-18). The girl's desire to be accepted and appreciated is so overpowering that she loses sight of her own identity and forces herself to be someone she is not in the hope of attaining this acceptance from others. The strong language in describing her physical changing as "cutting off" her limbs reveals the great extent to which the girl went to get the approval of society. She morphed and transformed her own body into the mold society wanted her to fit into, rather than the mold she was made to fit into. She even "offered [herself] up" to society and those who had criticized her, proving that her craving and obsession with being approved of has taken control of her and how she treats herself, for she literally begins offering up changed pieces of herself for judgment. Humanity feels the need to fit into society and be accepted, however, arguably the greatest and most important lesson a person can learn involves being themselves, finding their identity, and never changing who they are for someone else, despite how much they may desire this sort of love.
Lack of direction
The teenage years are a time of searching for identity and discovering personal interests and talents. A person must spend these years controlling themselves and the lives they lead. The teenage girl in "Barbie Doll" does not have this strong authority over her own life, and rather lets other people control her. The power others have over the girl is described when Piercy writes, "She was advised to play coy,/exhorted to come on hearty,/exercise, diet, smile and wheedle./Her good nature wore out/like a fan belt" (L 12-16). The girl in this poem follows the advice of others and lets others make decisions for her much too often. In her dependence on the opinions of others, she loses sight of herself and begins to lack a sense of direction, for she is unable to control her own path and future. She gives the people around her the ability to control her life and is not able to make important decisions for herself. Had she simply had a strong sense of identity and direction and stood up to those who controlled her, she would have escaped the horrible downfall she experienced. The idea of taking full control and authority over one's life is an important lesson that still applies today, for teenagers often rely too much on the opinions and advice of those around them. It is important that in growing up and searching for one's identity, a person does not stray from what they believe is right, what they want to do, and who they want to be.
Search for identity
The girl in "Barbie Doll" has a weak sense of identity, for she allows others to control her thoughts and actions and becomes the person others want to be rather than the person she wants herself to be. Her dependence and reliance on the opinions of others is explained as Piercy writes, "She was advised to play coy,/exhorted to come on hearty,/exercise, diet, smile and wheedle./Her good nature wore out/like a fan belt" (L 12-16). This girl does not have a strong sense of who she is, and is not given the chance to experience a search for her identity. By allowing others to have authority and power over her thoughts and actions, she has put her search for identity into the hands of others to be distorted and morphed to fit the imaginary mold that others have created for her. A person's search for identity should be about who they are and who they want to be, yet this girl is forcing herself to be someone she both is not and does not want to be. Her lack of desire to be the person others are telling her to be is revealed through the idea of her "good nature" that "wore out". Instead of enjoying and experiencing life on her search for identity, the girl is becoming more and more upset and frustrated with the world around her. These negative emotions ultimately lead to her demise, for had she simply turned her life around and gained control of her search for identity, she might have had a chance at a better life. To avoid the horrible downfall that the girl in this poem experienced, teenagers need to learn that they must be themselves and not let others control them, for at the end of the day, a person can only truly rely on and trust themselves.
Superficiality
The main theme of "Barbie Doll" is superficiality, for it is the reason behind the events and feelings in the poem. The concern for the girl's appearance is extremely present when Piercy writes, "She was healthy, tested intelligent,/possessed strong arms and back,/abundant sexual drive and manual dexterity./She went to and fro apologizing./Everyone saw a fat nose on thick legs" (L 7-11). The girl is a fully functioning person who is completely ordinary person, yet she continues to feel bad about her appearance. This worry proves her superficiality, for she is unable to accept that she is as perfectly normal as she is and does not need to change herself. She ignores the medical reports and the scientific information and instead exchanges it for the opinions and beliefs of others around her. Rather than worrying about what is important in her life and realizing that she is beautiful as she is, she continues to "apologize" for simply being who she is. Ultimately, it is this superficial attitude that leads to her demise, for it is only in death that others around her compliment the beauty that was always present.