A&P Reflection

I think that what makes this piece so powerful is the description of the girls as they walk into the supermarket. For example, the narrator notices even minor details—details that usually would be overlooked. In the beginning when the girls are walking into the supermarkets in their bikini’s, he notices the chunky girl with a good tan and a sweet broad soft-looking can with those two crescents of white just under it, where the sun never seems to hit, at the top of the backs of her legs.” The narrator’s attraction is prevalent, and it is his description of the girls that portrays his attraction towards them. It is also his description of them, especially the example I just used, that makes me see him as a sleazy character. His use of the word ‘cans’ draws me to have this immediate opinion of him because it’s a bit of a slang word, which I view as disrespectful. This piece helped me come to the realization that the description of external characters is important but not only in building their character, but also the character who is describing them.