Character Analysis of Sammy in John Updikes AP

Sammy: Campbells heroic journey transposed into suburban New England On the surface, the hero of John Updikes much-anthologized short story AP does not seem like a hero on the level of an Odysseus or a Hercules. Sammy is a cashier at a local grocery store. However, when three girls wearing bathing suits enter the AP, Sammy begins to experience a call to action. For the first time in his life, he takes a stand when he feels as if the pretty girls are being treated with a lack of respect. Sammy feels the first stirrings of rebellion within him, as he chafes against the constraints of his life. Campbell divides the three parts of the heros quest into a circular journey of departure, initiation, and return. Over the course of AP Sammy makes his departure into the world of the hero. The first stage of the heroic quest of departure begins with the heros call to adventure. During this first stage, the person is poised at the point in a persons life when they are first given notice that ever ything is going to change, whether they know it or not (Heros Journey: Summary of Steps, MCLI, 1999). This occurs when Sammy sees the three girls walk into the grocery store. His life and his perceptions of his world as a local in a small seaside town will never be the same, nor will his perceptions of himself as a sexual being. At the beginning of the story, Sammy is a shy, self-conscious cashier who is far more retiring than his fellow employee Stokesie. By the end ofShow MoreRelatedA P By John Updike1441 Words   |  6 PagesJohn Updike is considered one of the greatest writers in modern American history. He is known for the idea that seemingly ordinary aspects of American life are actually quite fascinating. He wanted readers to see the beauty and magic of life, so he tried to describe everyday things using the most clear but beautiful language possible. 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