analyze the diction of Sammy, the cashier, in John Updikes story of `The A&P.` discuss the abstract or concrete aspects of the words used in the story. also discuss the verbal irony of hyperbole also found in the words in the story.

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is one of John Updike 's short stories . It was written way back in 1961 . It is a short story of a teenage boy who took a stand for what he thinks is right but was faced with disappointment

The young narrator in A

is Sammy and he narrates the story in the first person . The language that is used by the narrator is that of a teenage boy . Sammy epitomizes a teenage boy in many ways . Basically , he

br is interested in girls and as usual bored with his job in a grocery store

Throughout the text , his speech was informal which highlights his individuality and propensity to question authority . Slang expressions filled his sentence structure and diction . Diction means word choice Sammy 's diction is filled with cynicism and romantic notions . The choice of words in the story is of course typical to that of a teenage boy With regards to his sentence structure , they are relatively simple and easy to understand because there aren 't any complicated , wordy passages They are also not too long which only adds to the `present feel ' of the story

Updike used onomatopoeia in this story . Onomatopoeia is the use of words that imitate the sounds of the words they denote . For example , he used bing , gung , splat to imitate the sound of the register keys and the drawer as it flies out . Colloquial expressions are also visible in the text . The line she was a chunky kid .broad soft-looking can . at the top of the backs of her legs ' is one of the many colloquial expressions in the story . Basically that sentence refers to the subject 's posterior . Updike also used a number of metaphors to refer to body parts . Some of these are crescents , moons , etc . Many of the sentences appear as phrases which gives way to a quick reading pace

The use of hyperbole is also evident in the text . Hyperbole is a figure of speech . It uses exaggeration to create emphasis . It should not be taken literally when used to express strong feelings or to make a strong impression . Irony can be achieved by using hyperbole through exaggeration or by using understatements . Here in A

, Sammy viewed people by way of hyperbole . An example would be .with rouge on her cheekbones and no eyebrows . The verbal irony of hyperbole found in the words of this story puts a picture into the readers mind . Also , it creates a humorous effect to the story . They are also used to make a point in a light - hearted way and to poke fun about someone or something

Ultimately , the noble act and honesty that Sammy has executed in the story is not noticed by many and fewer even appreciates it . Basically the story is a commentary about the harsh capitalist society wherein the people are measured with their productivity and not with innocent gestures or noble acts of kindness

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