Comparison of “a&p” and “how to Date a Browngirl, Blackgirl, Whitegirl, or Halfie”

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Another similarity between these two stories is the main characters point of view. Both characters tell their story from the perspective of a young teenage boy. In “How to Date a Browngirl, Blackgirl, Whitegirl, or Halfie,” the Narrator is the main character, the boy, who is telling his opinion on how to get with certain girls. While In “A&P,” Sammy the main character is the narrator and it is told in a first person omniscient point of view. Both of the main characters in these stories giving their opinions on girls hints at the reader that the teenage boys are unsure of themselves and still trying to find the confidence to show their true personalities. They both tell their stories in a very personal way which helps the reader better understand them.

After reading both stories and comparing the two, it was fairly simple to identify the theme between them. Both of the stories themes are focusing on stereotypes, social class, and the mindset of a teenage boy. Reading these stories from the point of view of the adolescent characters really gives the reader an insight on what is going on in the mind of a teenage boy when it comes to the opposite sex. The setting also helps the reader consider the different obstacles and where these boys come from in order to better understand what they are saying. These stories theme, setting, and point of view were the three main similarities between the two and the author really gave specific details to help the reader better understand the stories from inside the main characters head.

Works Cited

Diaz, Junot. How to Date a Browngirl, Blackgirl, Whitegirl, or Halfie. N.p.: New Yorker, 1996. Print.

Updike, John. A&P. N.p.: New Yorker, 1961. Print.