Claim: "Sammy, the protagonist of John Updike's "A&P," is touted as a hero with noble reasons for his actions, but in reality he is just a simple, very normal, teenage boy." I think this claim still needs some work but it captures the idea of what I want to discuss. I think it is in danger of becoming too complex for a single thesis. I would, however, like to flesh out what exactly I am defining Sammy as.
I need to explain how I feel most people interpret this story. That is, as a story about a young boy who nobly stands up in defense of three young women. Most of my idea is centered around Sammy's motives. Is he really acting nobly, or is he simply submitting to the base emotions teenage boys are prone to submit to?
I need to provide evidence that Sammy's motives are anything but noble. The author's structuring of the story is pivotal to this because Sammy acts as narrator, and as such everything he says, says something about himself. If Sammy's actions are truly acts of noble chivalry, why does he sexualize the girls and focus so much on their physical traits?
There is more evidence in Sammy's supposed act of nobility itself. His dialogue with his boss gives away his character as a hormone-filled teenage boy. I also will have to wrap up the argument in this section.
I think this is a good start, I would look to add more analysis that doesn't involve theme, like some of the types of analysis we talked about in class, psychoanalytic, Freudian, etc. there are lots, but this was really good.
The photo is a bit blurry in this blog post, but I like the idea. The idea that someone is viewed as a hero, but is really simple fascinates me and is a good thesis. Good job!
I agree that your thesis could be a little stronger. Defining exactly what you think the story's character is would be the best way to do this. But I think it's great that you picked a story to analyze. It's a nice change from all the poetry.
I think this is a good start, I would look to add more analysis that doesn't involve theme, like some of the types of analysis we talked about in class, psychoanalytic, Freudian, etc. there are lots, but this was really good.
ReplyDeleteThe photo is a bit blurry in this blog post, but I like the idea. The idea that someone is viewed as a hero, but is really simple fascinates me and is a good thesis. Good job!
ReplyDeleteI agree that your thesis could be a little stronger. Defining exactly what you think the story's character is would be the best way to do this. But I think it's great that you picked a story to analyze. It's a nice change from all the poetry.
ReplyDelete