Attack or Defend
In A&P Sammy consistently ‘objectifies
women,” that is, he turns them into objects by staring at them (the male gaze),
inventing belittling nicknames, and making his own story superior to theirs.
This attitude, called sexism, is inherently wrong. Stories that produce these
attitudes are therefore artistically immoral and ought not be assigned in
schools, where teachers have at least some responsibility to provide healthy
worldviews for students.
Watch your writing for grammar, mechanics and style. Try to make some original points. Show off a little...show how smart you are!
I say that there was nothing wrong with what Sammy thought in A&P. I say this because it was a thought. He did not walk up to the girl and say you have big jugs. He just thought it and kept it to himself. Also even if I did consider it sexist, we should still be allowed to read it because it teaches us what not to think or do.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe that this story is inappropriate for an audience of our age. While the way Sammy thinks would appear misogynistic to some people, he is not directly confronting the girls. He is keeping his thoughts to himself. If students are never introduced to things like these, then they will never learn how to respond. If people were to speak openly likewise to how Sammy thought, it would be very offensive. If we know how to act in these situations we will be able to avoid future problems.
ReplyDeleteIt is important for guys our age to at least be briefed on a situation like this. Someone who doesn't know how to deal with a situation like this probably wouldn't know to keep it to himself. That person would make a comment towards a girl, who probably wouldn't appreciate it, would soon regret it. So I think all guys our age should be introduced to a story like this for future reference.
DeleteI think that this is fine. Sammy's views are unrealistic and I don't take his ideas to a serious nature. Compared to real world ideas this proves to have hardly a standpoint. How Sammy portrays sexism doesn't make the reader feel any presence of reality or actual possibilities. Although theoretically his views could be considered sexists it doesn't lay any idea of wrong doing to the reader. It is just a backdrop on a story with a much different theme than what you would consider sexism. People whom feel this way should consider if it really would have any noticeable affect on students. I know that it does not have an affect on me. My views on sexism didn't change after reading and analyzing the story.
ReplyDeleteI think that the story A&P should be taught or read to people at a certain age. Someone in early middle school or lower school would probably not be mature enough to understand the content and to know what is right from wrong when reading A&P. Also, if a young person did here this story, his view of how to think and talk to girls would probably be affected in a negative way. Although, someone in high school, or an adult would probably be mature enough to understand what the immoral thoughts or dialogue were, while still grasping the concept of sexism that ran throughout the story.
ReplyDeleteI feel that the short story, "A&P" has little to no effect on the reader's view of sexism or level of sexism. Those who do are simply ignorant. For example, based on their logic, a novel based in a wartime environment with the protagonist thinking of killing the enemy, therefore supports killing and murder. This is simply untrue. Also, is Sammy even sexist? By definition, sexism is the belief that one sex is superior to the other. Sammy, in my opinion, is only making observations of the young women, just as any male of his age would do. He was not sharing with his fellow cashiers his thoughts, or even confronting the women with these thoughts. As long as the reader is aware that he/she should not share these thoughts, this short story can and should be taught to a mature English class.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the story A&P should be allowed to be taught and read in schools. Even if the story is viewed as sexist it is still interesting and funny for the male mind to read. In the book, Sammy comments about the girls looks and personalities, but he doesn't say these things to the girls faces he keeps his thoughts and opinions to himself. I don't find this so bad to be taught in schools to the right audience of males. All guys in general do this and think about girls in this way at some point. Not teaching the book won't make guys thoughts and views of girls change. By reading the book,it could be taught in a positive way making boys aware of what not to do and how to act respectively towards girls.
ReplyDeleteEven though sexism is not a good aspect of life, it does not need to be hidden from people. Yes it is something you don't want students to acquire, but if you teach it, it can also be prevented. Also, sexism is natural. When boys start to become young men, this will become a part of their life. So if it's going to be lingering around anyway, you might as well try to educate them on what it is that is happening and why they need to restrain from showing it. This could take them a long way as far as knowing how to control it.
ReplyDeleteI defend the teaching of "A&P" because even though sexism is bad, it still exists and many people still are sexist. Some people today seem to think that if you ignore something then it doesn't exist. This is simply untrue. Another thing people in society today seem to do is over exaggerate things. Sammy does not walk up to the girls and say sexist or objectifying things to their faces, its all in his head. This is not sexism, you have to say something out loud for it to be sexist or objectifying. Nobody else knows what Sammy is thinking about, they don't have a clue. And how do we know that Sammy is they only one thinking about the girls. Any other character in the book could be thinking about them. The same scenario could occur at my local Publix and nobody would have a clue because we don't know what people think about things unless they say them out loud, which Sammy never does. That is why I defend the teaching of this book,in my opinion there is no real sexism in it.
ReplyDeleteThis book should always be allowed to he taught in schools. The book is somewhat sexist but not to the point where it should be banned in school. Sammy calls the lady a witch, somewhat sexist, but that is the most sexsit thought or statement in the story. Sammy is doing what all young men do, getting mad at people but not letting it show. The story also describes what all young men do by looking at the girls and pointing out there flaws. This isn't being sexist but being normal. This book is normal and shouldn't be banned in schools.
ReplyDeleteI defend the reading of "A&P" because the topic of sexism should be taught at all schools for future generations. If sexism is exposed to young men and they can interpret it as something bad then it can be prevented. Even though it is natural for sexism to linger in a guy's mind it should not be expressed by words or actions. "A&P" should be read and discussed in class for some laughs, but to also display thoughts and actions that young men should not follow.
ReplyDeletei don't think it matters whether or not this story is taught because no matter how much people try to prevent it, sexism will always be a part of our daily lives. While teaching this story may expose us to sexism, i highly doubt that by reading this we became any more sexist than we already are.
ReplyDeleteI encourage books like "A&P," and I think reading books like this one is important because it exposes us to the idea of sexism. Sammy objectifies women so blatantly that it is easy to see that it is wrong. This story brings up the idea that it is important to look at how people think instead of just how they act, because what they think may be a better representation of their true beliefs. Sammy does not act on his sexist thoughts, but it is hard to know if someone's true belief system is what they think or what they do. This story may allow the teacher to make the point that it is better to change your thoughts so that they match your actions. Even though it's normal for teenage boys to have lustful thoughts, a more balanced view of women may make it more likely that they will have appropriate behavior around women. Again, I think stories like "A&P" should be taught in school as they are helpful in allowing young men to witness and discuss sexism in the hope of preventing it.
ReplyDeleteStories like A&P should be allowed in schools. Although Sammy's thoughts are viewed as "sexist," this is reality. All teenage guys are thinking the exact same way as Sammy. We already do- we are not learning anything new from the story.
ReplyDeleteLikewise, girls know what guys think about them. They dress to egg guys on for these reasons. Sexism is a part of our lives. We can all relate to it. If we are not educated about it, how are we going to stop it? We must understand our problems before we fix them.
Sexism should not be taking place in our society. Although it can raise someone's self confidence, it will more than likely hurt it. When something good is said about the individual it will make he or she feel higher and better than everyone else and cocky. Most likely something bad or innapropiate is mentioned, which will destroy one's confidence. Nothing positive comes from the accounts of sexism today in our society, which is why it deserves absolutely no place. Sexism has caused many people to hurt themselves and it should be stopped.
ReplyDeleteStories like "A&P” shouldn't be banned from a school's curriculum. I believe that Sammy wasn't being "sexist" at all. Sammy kept all of his affectionate thoughts to him self during the entire story. He never spoke to them in a sexist or misogynistc way. He was perfectly polite to them during the very short time he spent with them. Desire is a natural human emotion and can't be classified as sexism. I believe that this should be taught in schools because no matter if it is being classified as sexist or not, Sammy acted appropriately. He handled his natural urges and desires in a mature way, by keeping it all in his head.
ReplyDelete"A&P" is a story that teaches many values. This story should be taught in schools because it is the only way to truly show sexism. Sammy's thoughts are normal, considering he is a teenager, but they are not wrong because he did not act on them. This is just one example of how we objectify women in everyday life. Even though the initial thought is not wrong, the actions, if any, that follow are inherently wrong. The only way to show how prevalent sexism is in our society is to display it through different types of media. This is why stories like "A&P" should be taught in school, to explain how sexism is associated with everyday life.
ReplyDeleteAs a 14 year old boy, I must attack this statement. The truth is, every boy has had this same lustrous stare that Sammy expresses in "A&P". Many women oppose sexism and say this story should not be taught in schools. Although sexism is a form of lust, which is a deadly sin, men use the "male gaze" daily. "Checking girls out" has become part of our society, regardless of John Updike and "A&P". This story should be continued to be taught in schools because nowhere in the text does it say "men should only view women for their appearance and body." No, "A&P" simply places the "male gaze" in text. By doing so, even women are able to comprehend the thought process of where men look. In fact, it is a bit hypocritical to only blame Sammy when it is the girls who come into the store with their bikini straps down and dollar bills inside. Women are caught up in sexism too! "A&P" merely expresses sexism in our society and should not be banned from schools. Although many women are against "checking out", it is irrational for them to blame "A&P" for it, as it does not change what men look at when girls are in bikinis.
ReplyDeleteI think it would be good for A&P to be read in schools everywhere, because it allows teenagers to see an example of something that is real and exists. Sexism isn't a joke, and I imagine many teenagers think it is. Teenagers can relate to Sammy because he is a teenager too and has the same feelings as many teenage boys do. This lets readers connect with Sammy so they can make a connection and know what to do if the situation ever arises.
ReplyDeleteThis is unacceptable. A&P should not be read in schools or even talked about. When some people read the story they can begin to think that sexism is rather funny or ok. Sexism is not a joke. No matter whether you are boy or girl you should be respected. A&P might encourage some people to put girls into a whole different category as guys. Girls deserve a little respect too!
ReplyDeleteTheres nothing wrong with Sammy's opinion in A&P. Everybody is entitled to their own opinion and thoughts. A&P should be allowed in school. That doesn't mean I support sexism I think its wrong for men to treat women without respect. Sammy does make some sexist comments but he doesnt say them to the girls he keeps them to himself. This book could be used to teach boys how not to treat women and how to treat them.
ReplyDeleteI think A&P is good for a lot of boys. It can teach us what is sexist and what is not. I think Sammy was not being sexist unless he verbally said anything to the girl which he did not. The only crime he committed was gazing upon a beautiful woman. When the times comes A&P can help us confront situations like this one.
ReplyDeleteI will atack this article. I think this story should be read in schools. When it comes down to the cold hard truth this is how many men treat women.This story could be used to teach young men how to treat women with respect and dignity, by setting an example that shows young men like me and my fellow Cadets how to treat the young women we know. From a fifteen year old boys stand point I think A&P should be read in schools across the nation.
ReplyDeleteThis book is perfect for high school boys to read. Everyone stares at girls, that means you too. This book shows sexism, which shows us how not to act. But Sammy kepts his thoughts to himself, so if this story was written not in Sammy's perspective but in one of the girls perspectives you wouldn't have known how passionate he was about the girls. You would have just known about a cash register that was staring them down from the cash register. Its vital that we read a book like this because there is a lot of learning you get in school that's not in a textbook, and this is one of them: how to treat women with respect.
ReplyDeleteI think A&P should not be allowed in schools. Although it can be used for educational purposes it still may be offensive to some people. We were all created equally so girls should not be treated differently from us guys.
ReplyDeleteThere is no problem with allowing high school boys to read this book. A&P does not teach boys to be sexist, but rather shows the reader the life of Sammy and teaches us that it is wrong. Another thing to think about is how Sammy is never verbally sexist to the girls but keeps it to himself. This book teaches us to treat women with respect. One final thing to realize is that not every book we read can be good morally, or it would teach us that life is perfect and there are happy endings to everything.
ReplyDeleteI choose to attack A&P and Sammy's way of judging girls as they are "objects." Our society is just now recovering from crisies woman have faced for the last 40 years during both World Wars and the depression. The female race has not been treated the same as men have, and it shouldn't be expressed through novels for people to be reading in grade school. Students learn through what they read and if books are teaching young boys abou "the Male Gaze" you can almost be certain they will expirement with such a thing.
ReplyDeleteI would attack A&P, because the reality is a lot of boys are sexist to a certain age. In highschool I would say it would be acceptable, because in highschool the kids would be more mature about it than kids that are in middle school and elementary school. If it was read in school than the kids might not be as sexist or be less sexist.
ReplyDeleteI think ther's is nothing wrong with Sammy's opinions and thoughts. He's kept his thoughts to himself. I like to treat women with respect. I know that most of us may think the same way as Sammy. A&P should be taught in schools. The reason why is that A&P can teach young men how to treat women correctly and how not to treat women.
ReplyDeleteI think we need to read books like these so we can learn the wrong things that some people do and not make the same mistake. We do not live in perfect world and there are very bad people out there and if we do not learn about that and act like it does not happen then it will just get worse. we need to teach people the right way to treat others. we need to learn from are mistakes by remembering them. We need to learn about examples of how not to treat others.
ReplyDeleteI don't think there is anything wrong with what Sammy said. I don't agree with it, but everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Women should be treated with respect. I think A&P should be taught in schools because it is an example of what not to do.
ReplyDeleteWhile I am attacking A & P and Sammy's objectification of women, I am also defending our right to learn about it in school. Sexism is inherently a bad thing. The belittlement of women is wrong. However, stories that illustrate sexism have a place in school. Without these stories, we are unable to fully understand the problems associated with sexism. If it is not allowed in school, how are we to learn whether to attack or defend.
ReplyDeleteThis story "A&P" should be taught in schools because when guys go out in the real world they will not know how to treat girls. In my opinion he didn't do anything wrong because he was keeping it to himself and its not like he said anything to a girls face. Even though I sometimes think of girls in a bad way women will do the same thing to. That's why I think this should be taught in schools.
ReplyDeleteI am attacking this subject, because we should learn more from others mistakes then our own mistakes. I don't agree with sexism, because everyone was created equally. And what place are we in to judge another human being.
ReplyDeleteI do not disagree with Sammy's actions. Every guy has thought about a girl in his life before. I am not agreeing with sexism though. If Sammy wants to think about a girl in his mind then by all means do it. If Sammy were to say these things to the girl I would not agree with that. Girls deserve respect too.
ReplyDeleteI chose to attack the "A&P" because at this day and age, men judge women like their objects. That isn't the right thing to do. All people are created equally, so why should women be treated differently. People might start negatively respecting women if schools read the "A&P". As a young man I think the "A&P" shouldn't be read in school.
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ReplyDeleteI think that stories like "A&P" should be read in school because it allows boys our age to learn how to properly act towards women. Also Sammy was not really being sexist because he was only thinking it and it's his opinion. So he can think like that if he wants but it doesn't make wrong.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, there is absolutely nothing wrong with Sammy's thoughts. After all, he did not approach the woman and explain to her the way he felt. He kept his thoughts to himself and that was the right and mannerly thing to do. I believe A&P should definitely be taught in schools because it teaches young men, teenagers, how to treat women with respect and authority, and how not too.
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ReplyDeleteThe story A&P should be taught in schools as a lesson to show how not to treat a girl. It should not not be taught simply because of a sexist premise, but taught as a chance to educate students on the wrongs of sexism.I myself do not agree with sexist views but I do believe that that examples should be taught as a way to avoid sexism. It is unfortunate that sexism exist but with proper education, students can be elevated above the low level in which sexism exist. Sexism may be a natural accurance, but by education their is hope for the a less sexist future. Thus granting women the respect that they deserve.
ReplyDeleteI think there is nothing wrong with this. If Sammy were saying these sexist comments to girls faces I would say something different. But he is not. He is keeping his own thoughts inside his head. Girls aren't always treated with respect, but they should be. I think if the person reading this is mature enough to handle it, A&P should be taught in schools.
ReplyDeleteI believe that we should be able to read short stories like this one. In this story, Sammy shows that people can be sexist and non-sexist at different times. Everyone has their own opinion. Sometimes we are at our best, and sometimes we are at our worst. Sammy shows both sides.
ReplyDeleteI personally encourage books like "A&P," because they teach us about sexism. I also believe that Sammy was not wrong in gazing at a woman thinking she is attractive. However, it is wrong to be disrespectful to women, and making bad nicknames or making a sexist inappropriate statement to another person about a woman is very wrong. We should always respect women and treat them with dignity. I think books like "A&P," should be taught in many schools to give us a chance to talk and discuss sexism.
ReplyDeleteI think we should be able to read short story's like A&P. It teaches us about sexism so we know what it is and why it can be bad. It is very disrespectful to be sexism to a women. But it is a good book and I hope other schools still make there students read it.
ReplyDeletei think we should be able to read this because it teaches us about sexism. we need to learn about it so we see different ways people think. it is very disrespectful to be sexist against women. we need to learn how to respect women because God put them here for a reason not as a toy.
ReplyDeleteStory's like "A&P" should be allowed to be read in schools. Its perfectley normal for a boy of our age to think those things, we all do and have at some point, I'm not saying it is right but its natural. After all sammy did not aproach the woman with these thoughts, he kept them to himself, which was the right and polite thing to do in that situation. If taught in the right way to a mature audience, this story can teach young men how to treat women with respect and how not to be sexist toward them.
ReplyDeleteI think that there should be more stories like A&P taught in school so the younger generation will know what it is and perhaps prevent any more sexist people in the future.It is normal for a guy to have these thoughts at a young age, but they eventually t we all grow out of it.If we,as the older generation,teach the younger ones not be sexist and if not then can atleast teach them not to speech it.
ReplyDeleteI think that it is good that A&P reads this. I am not saying that sexism is right, it is not. What I am saying is that this should not be hidden from teenagers. It does exist, and the more that we know about it, the more we can prevent it at an early age.
ReplyDeleteBeing a boy I am going to attack this statement. Sexism is belittling females, and is not morally correct. But, should only be taught not to do be sexiest. I myself have not read this short story "A&P" but, in the brief summary of it, a person puts girls as objects, which they are not. No matter what,girls should have the same respect that us boys have.
ReplyDeleteI think that this is a good and bad story to be taught in school. The reason why it is good is because it shows us how not to act and teaches us that there are people in the world that treat women like this. I also think it is bad because some people might think this how you are suppose to treat women and it is the opposite. We were all created equal so that gives us no right to treat anyone different.
ReplyDeleteI believe that it would be a good idea to read certain things such as A&P. It teaches young men like ourselves about the sexist things that happen in this world. I In addition some guys like to talk about women like they are objects. A&P will teach us that being a sexist is wrong, women take offense to this kind of thing. These kind of discussions are important for teenager because we all know that this kind of thing exists. Now some teenage boys may already know about this kind of thing and know that's wrong, some teenage boys don't know that it is bad to discriminate against women, female, and/or girls.
ReplyDeleteI believe that we should not have books like this in school. It demotes women and that is not what a young man should be reading. We as fourteen and fifteen year old's have easily influenced minds. Most of us will follow anything that is considered cool. Making demeaning women cool will make some of us think it is alright when it is wrong.
ReplyDeleteI believe that we should not have books like this in school. It demotes women and that is not what a young man should be reading. We as fourteen and fifteen year old's have easily influenced minds. Most of us will follow anything that is considered cool. Making demeaning women cool will make some of us think it is alright when it is wrong.
ReplyDeleteI think this is ok he thought about it he did not go up to the girl and say anything. Every guy does that when they see a very pretty women. It does not make him a bad person at all. I think it would be ok to have books with some sexism in it but not to the extent were it is more than thinking about how pretty she is.
ReplyDeleteRaymond Stasco 9.5 curly!!!
My idea on these so called "sexiest" books should not be given to us to read. The reason I feel this way is because it is not ok to disrespect women and knowing my peers and I we will take what we read from these books and say them to women. That is why i believe we should not read sexiest books in school.
ReplyDelete-Mark Wilson, 9-5
I believe that these books should not be read in school, because it is not right to belittle women like so. I also think that teenagers such as ourselves like to be influenced by something or someone, and it is not okay to be influenced by this book, so we will not put women down.
ReplyDeleteSam Weis,9-5 Curly
I believe I believe the thoughts that sammy had were not innapropriate because lots of males at this age think of this. Sammy kept these thoughts to himself and didn't go walk up to them and say something unnescecary. Although thinking and judging girls this way should be discouraged we should still be tought about it so we can learn from it and act on it.
ReplyDeleteIn the book A&P Sammy looks at these women in a almost lustful way,but I don't think he is looking at them as an act of disrespect.When Sammy looks at the girls i don't think he knows he is being sexist by looking at them like wanted objects. We should read stories like this in school it can teach us what is wrong because I'm sure some people thought that looking at girls like Sammy did is perfectly fine. We need to be exposed to subjects like this so we can learn what is morally right as humans.
ReplyDeleteThe thought of sammy's in this story should not be encouraged, yet they are in the life of almost every single high-school boy out there. His thoughts are normal and it is a thing everybody gets through the hype of high-school and puberty. I would say that there is nothing absolutly prohibited about his thought but they shouldn't be thought of as good thoughts. Sammy is treating them like objects and that is not what they are. Women deserve rights,respect,and just plain common human decency. God created man and he created women. simple as that he thought the same of both of them and there you go, but i do choose to protect this short story. I think that this story should be read to show the average high-school boy that these thought do occur and that they are normal. In this summary it says nothing about Sammy approaching a girl and telling her these things so i approve.-cody Ellsessor 9-3
ReplyDeleteI think that what Sammy did was not sexist. When he saw those girls the only thing he did was thought about them. I do not think that Sammy was trying to be sexist in this particular situation. I think that reading A&P is a good thing for teenage boys because it is a part of our everyday life. This story will teach us how to be a better person and not to become sexist.
ReplyDeleteWe should not read books like this in school. It demotes women and makes them "things" not people.People our age our influenced easily and go along with almost anything and will talk about women this way.
ReplyDeleteI feel that it all depends on how each individual person looks at a women. If a guy see's a good looking woman out in public and thinks that she looks nice I see nothing wrong with that. On the other hand if a gut see's a women and starts thinking lustful thoughts and treats that lady like some object that is nothing but something to look at, then it should be frowned upon. Sammy displays the the version of looking at a woman as an, but as long as you treat a lady like a lady and with respect then it should be perfectly fine. Stephen Saffold - 9-1
ReplyDeleteI do not think A&P should be taught in schools or discussed with short-stories such as page 303 in our short-story book. These writings did not interest me and I did not understand how looking at someone was hurting them. It could be bad if he said his thoughts out loud but everybody has their own opinion. A&P did not help me get any healthier views and I do not think it should be taught. If there was a better example maybe but I am saying that it did not help me at all.
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