Monday, 29 June 2009

How is the pride theme essential in "A & P," "The Scarlet Ibis," and "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place"?

Each of
these three short stories deals with the thematic idea of pride in some respect. To answer your
question, it is important to understand what you mean by essential. For my answer, I will work
under the assumption that this means it is necessary to understanding the meaning of the text as
a whole. I will discuss each story separately.

In John Updikes "A &
P," Sammy believes that he is coming to the rescue of the young attractive girls who enter
the grocery store in which he works. His boss criticized the girls for wearing swimsuits in
public, saying they need to cover their shoulders. In a proud gesture of heroism, Sammy rips off
his apron, making a statement in the girls defense. Ironically, though, the girls do not notice
his gesture, having left the premises without saying a word. In this story, Sammy is proud of
himself for behaving so chivalrously, despite...

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