"A&P"
What era would you place the setting of this story?
The era would be the 50s-60s.
Who is the main character? Describe her.
Elena - she is a somewhat shy, awkward girl without much self confidence...she enjoys reading and is very observant.
What is the setting of the short story?
Rural Maryland during the Great Depression.
Why is Shay determined to give Dante an eraser tattoo?
So he has something to remember her by.
Who is the speaker?
His mother.
How would you describe Mr. Lengel?
His social politics are very conservative because he insists on sticking to the store policy and also clearly a firm believer in modesty and not branching out from the grains of society.
Why couldn't Elena "feel the right thing" about JFK's assassination?
She was too excited to hang out with Eugene at his house and go to the library in order to study for an American History test.
Who are the main characters?
Lizabeth (Eugenia Collier at 14), her brother Joey, Miss Lottie (old Indian/Native American woman), John Burke (Miss Lottie's adult son), father and mother.
Describe gentrification, including both the positives and negatives of this process.
A process of urban development where historically low-value neighborhoods are transformed into high-value areas.
What is the biggest fear of the narrator?
“My Son the Man” introduces maternal fears about the period when her son grows up.
Why does Sammy quit his job at the A&P?
Sammy realizes he does not want his future to end up like his boss.
What was the Puerto Rican Tenement known as?
El Building.
What are some of the themes of the short story?
(1) Poverty, (2) maturity, (3) the relationship between innocence and compassion.
What does Dante realize at the end of the story?
That Shay's never coming back.
What literary devices are used in the poem?
Olds uses a number of literary devices, including metaphors and similes.
Look closely at Mr. Lengel's reaction to Sammy's resignation. Lengel says that Sammy will "always feel this." Sammy agreed with Mr. Lengel. What does that mean?
Sammy's decision to resign will affect his future because he will not follow in the town's footsteps of society. When Lengel says that Sammy will "always feel this" means that Sammy will always feel like an outsider to the town, and he will never have the same ideas or beliefs of the people who reside there. Lengel's reaction is appalled that someone in that small town was brave enough to go against the current society's norms that made him resent Sammy for simply having a different opinion.
How did Elena know when the Jewish couple were arguing, sick, and other things?
She watched the couple during mealtimes.
What did they think of Miss Lottie when they were children?
That she was an old witch.
Shay's father leaves in a moving truck with their belongings. "Moments later, another truck [pulls] up to the same spot — a replacement." What does the word "replacement" suggest?
The culture is being replaced and bought out by wealthy people.
What is the theme?
The maternal experience many women go through when their children reach adulthood and begin to establish their own independence.
What is the setting of the story? How does it reflect the moral view of the narrator?
The setting is at a polluted lake that used to be clear. It takes place in Southeast Asia.
What did Elena's mother say about her crush on Eugene?
She was infatuated, and it would never work out, because they were moving away.
When Lizabeth destroys the Marigolds what does that event represent? what is the meaning of this moment to Lizabeth?
Lizabeth loses her innocence, and she has compassion for Miss Lottie.
How does the white couple moving in behave towards Dante, Shay, and her family?
They are insensitive to them moving out, and they ignore them and act as if they aren't there.
What allusion is used in the poem?
An allusion to Houdini is the strongest tool that depicts her attitudes toward the son and his growing up.