A&P by John Updike, was written in 1961. Updike is known for his true fictional, yet situational, stories about the middle-class lifestyle. At that time, having a job already gave you the opportunity to advance when working for a growing company like A&P. Jobs in the 1960s needed workers and the workforce was not As men and women grew bigger, they needed all sorts of things. Although many still had to work multiple jobs to maintain a steady income just to live, losing a job was therefore not beneficial. It was now much easier for women to get jobs and they were growing at a rapid rate, thereby changing their social status. Updike clearly uses the time period to divide each character into different social classes. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay The author illustrates Sammy, the narrator, as a working-class young man. In the 1960s, men had to work nine to five daily jobs to support their families. Keeping a job in those days was essential because most families lived on one salary. When Sammy quits, Lengel, the store manager, says, "You'll regret this for the rest of your life." By resigning, Sammy's social status completely changes and he must find a new job. Sammy is already in a lower class, due to his position in the company and the fact that he still lives at home, and by leaving his job it may hurt him to find another job and advance in the company . The store manager, Lengel, is considered to be in a higher social class than Sammy, but still in the middle social class. Lengel has a higher position in the company and earns a steady income, so it makes sense that he would be above Sammy, status-wise. As store manager, Lengel has more responsibilities than Sammy and must make sure everything runs smoothly in the store. He can't have girls wearing only bikinis in his store, it would give the store a bad image. Updike makes Lengel look like the bad guy by doing his job and kicking the girls out. By doing his job, he unintentionally changes Sammy's status by making him, unintentionally, resign. Updike also gives Sammy the impression that he is trying to fight, for Lengel, against social discrimination. Another character Updike uses to represent social classes is Queenie. That's not her real name, it's just a name given by the narrator, because she seems rich. In fact, Sammy tries to interact with Queenie, but doesn't because she is considered above him, in terms of social status. His nickname alone gives an idea of ​​his status. Plus, the confidence Queenie has when she walks into the store wearing just a bikini, it screams upper class. Sammy also compares the other women in the store to Queenie, even calling some "house slaves". At that time, it was not common for women to walk around stores in nothing but bikinis like it is today. Updike uses Queenie in this story to also show how social classes have changed and continue to change. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay John Updike brilliantly uses social status to represent this time period. Updike's work is known for using real-life situations in his stories..