Assignment 2

John Updike Interview
After watching the John Updike interview, it reinforced my image of the character of Sammy. Updike’s explanation of Sammy is just a more detailed version of my interpretation. The only part that really changed my perception on the story is the background information that Updike explained. I liked to learn about how different situations in Updike’s life helped him create the story. He explained that Sammy was based off himself as a teenager and Sammy’s manager was based off his wife’s manager. The other part that made me think was the time in the United States that the story was set in. It was during a time of rebellion and nonconformity. Sammy was a blue collar teen working in a grocery store to make a living. This setting made me realize that there is more depth to the story than I originally thought, and there is more depth to the consequences that Sammy has to endure. After Sammy quits, Updike explains that he now has to deal with the rumors around a small town. He has given up his “good name” for three girls that vanish on him. Updike gave a great perception on the story and created a picture of the real Sammy for everyone to imagine.

"Rites of Passage" and "The Only Girl at the Boys' Party"
The two poems that we read visualize heroism differently than John Updike. Updike’s approach deals with an emotional and non structured confrontation. An example of Updike’s style is Sammy quitting a job on a quick impulse. Both poems by Sharon Olds are detailed and have a disciplined feeling. In "Rites of Passage" the seven year olds are portrayed like soldiers and the speaker’s son is portrayed like a General. He instructs his “troops” after much debate, that they could “easily kill a two year old”. In "The Only Girl at the Boys' Party" there is one brave girl that is invited to an all boys party. Olds creates the picture of the girl standing strong in the presence of boys by creating metaphors of school and math. In both poems Olds creates metaphors using disciplined areas of life, the military and school. It’s ironic however that she makes metaphors using these areas when the children are so small. The first graders could not really know about the military or war just like the girl at the party would not understand some of the math in the poem. I liked that way that both writers found a way to convey a feeling of heroism in the main character. Updike and Olds used completely different methods but in the end they reach the same ideal of heroism.