A&P Appearances Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Paragraph)

Quote #1

She kept her eyes moving across the racks, and stopped, and turned so slow it made my stomach rub the inside of my apron, and buzzed to the other two, who kind of huddled against her for relief. (5)

The girls in bathing suits are definitely attracting some attention. In 1961, when this story was published, it was not OK to name certain body parts or talk about sex explicitly in magazines like The New Yorker. Here Sammy is trying to tell us that he becomes sexually excited from looking at Queenie.

Quote #2

"Oh Daddy," Stokesie said beside me. "I feel so faint." (7)

Stokes might be a married man, but he's not immune to the sight of girls in bathing suits. Do you think the girls would be flattered, offended, or both if they heard this conversation? Is it or is it not disrespectful to talk about women in this way?

Quote #3

The sheep pushing their carts down the aisle – the girls were walking against the usual traffic (not that we have one-way signs or anything) – were pretty hilarious. You could see them, when Queenie's white shoulders dawned on them, kind of jerk, or hop, or hiccup, but their eyes snapped back to their own baskets and on they pushed. (5)

Sammy has fun watching the regular customers react to the girls in bathing suits. He wants to see things stirred up in this town.