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Post by anewman98 on Sept 22, 2015 0:42:12 GMT
The setting of the store in A&P is described in great detail for such a simple setting. The store is described to be like a pinball machine, yet the narrator knows where every isle is. One isle is the "cat-and-dog-food-breakfast-cereal-macaroni-rice-seasonings-spreads-spaghetti-soft drinks-crackers-and-cookies isle". I think the over detailed description implies its redundancy and how boring it is. This is shown through the narrator's memorization of the store. The slow pace makes the events of the story stand out even more. The group of girls who show up stand out because they are out of the ordinary. The girl, "queen", seems extraordinary compared to the fluorescent lights and checkerboard tile.
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Post by jesswang on Sept 24, 2015 0:36:21 GMT
All - I couldn't agree more. The setting and description of the store in A&P indirectly lead up to Sammy, the narrator, quitting his job. It's clear that the drab, dull, and over detailed description you mentioned was a testament to how long the narrator had worked there; if he knew every single isle of the store so well, he must have been there for ages. This setting creates a boring backdrop in the world of a boy who clearly dislikes his job. He dislikes the store and all its dullness, he dislikes the customers who shop there, and he even dislikes his coworkers. It's a world full of boring, ordinary things that definitely do not live up to the standards of this 19 year old boy. When the out-of-the-ordinary girls walk into the store, it is the final push for Sammy to realize that he truly hates his job and needs to be out in the world doing extraordinary things. If the setting of the store was not so lifeless and mundane, I don't think he would have quit his job just from the incident with the girls.
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Post by matthewzhang on Sept 24, 2015 20:50:15 GMT
I agree that setting in A&P is very important. The setting provides the information that readers need in order to understand what Sammy was thinking. The setting takes place around a time period much different than the current time period; a time period that is very strict about following laws. Back then, people were conformed and expected to conform to the rules or laws. The girls in the bathing suits symbolizes the rebellion against conformism. This was why Sammy had such negative thoughts against those girls. Sammy represents the conformist tendencies during his time and how strict people had to abide to rules. Without the knowledge of setting or when the story took place, there would have been no justification for Sammy's actions and thoughts especially towards the end of the story. Setting indeed does really impact the overall story and the plot that takes place.
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pavansuresh
New Member
I am Pavan the Skeptical Elf.
Posts: 26 
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Post by pavansuresh on Sept 24, 2015 21:46:28 GMT
I agree that the setting is important; however, one must take into consideration that Sammy was basically ogling those girls. He didn't seem to find anything wrong with them, especially when eyeing the "chunky one" in the "green two-piece" (as he said in the story), and they may have symbolized a ray of sunshine in his otherwise dull life. He may have hated his work, but he knew that it was necessary - however, that was just a fine thread holding him onto his job. When the girls came into the store, he was checking them out. When the manager told them they had to have proper clothes on, he just snapped that thread - it was probably the straw that broke the camel's back, because he already hated his job but when something interesting came along it had to leave.
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Post by ashen99 on Sept 24, 2015 22:04:13 GMT
That is a really good point. Considering how the store is described in much detail via Sammy's words, it is obvious he's been here for a long time. It also explains why Sammy wanted to ogle the girls so much since they were a huge contrast with the boring store.
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Post by joshualiu on Sept 24, 2015 22:07:58 GMT
Setting in A&P is definitely important to the story. Likewise, the setting in "The Interlopers" plays its own important role. Saki describes it as "a forest of mixed growth somewhere on the eastern spurs of the Karpathians." The reader can sense a dark, dreary mood, due to the gloomy setting of the forest. This complements the story well, as there is much tension between the two rivals, Ulrich and Georg. Providing an appropriate setting, Saki was able to add to the mood of the dismal story.
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