John Updike + two poems

The John Updike interview over the A&P story was interesting. He drew some of the story from personal experience and some from his own observations. He connected villians from his life when his mother was a salsewoman to villians in the story. He also refers to people in the market aisles as balls in a pinball machine was vivid imagery and a humourous idea. Mr. Updike believes or refers to Sammy as a hero, which is contrary to what I and most of my Literary Heritage Class believe. He states he is a hero, even if he is looking for reocgnition or praise.

I think what Mr. Updike means is that even though Sammy is looking for praise or recognition, it doesn't make him any less of a hero. He isn't a modest hero or the relunctant hero, but he is a hero nonetheless. I can somewhat agree with that statement since there are some people we regard as heroes although they have many undesirable qualities such as Ulysses S. Grant and his drinking problem, Barrack Obama and his smoking habit, or John McCain and his anger issues.

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Poems.

Rites of Passage.
Interesting! I thought it was adorable how she referred to the boys as "short men." I can relate to that since i come from two families, one large hispanic family and one large white texan family. On my father's side, the white Texan family, there is a strong sense of "manliness" even at a young age. My cousin has three children, and since the day they're born, they learn to act like stoic, serious men, mostly cause the grown men in the family act like they've walked out of an old western.

The One Girl at the Boy's Party
Really fun to read. I like mathematical vocabulary even though I neither speak it or understand it. I very much enjoyed reading this poem because at times I could relate to it(as in the title). However, i did not understand that sense of awe she was implying that the boys felt for the only girl. Wouldn't most children that age not notice? I haven't spent a lot of time with children in a while and I couldn't see the perspective. The imagery and the metaphors were like a painting.