A&P

Something whipped up for a college app. I like to think of it as a parody of Dostoevsky's Notes From Underground

I am an individual, a student, a peer; I am an entity, a machine, and I am with and without flaw– flawed as one who accepts what it means to be flawed, and so flawed as one without thought; Flawless– I am flawless– for I am one who seeks the power of an individual in community, flawless for I think and flawless for I am my own government, and I have written my own laws and I have set my own ethics– and so, I am without flaw.
Those who are flawed, those much like myself, will deny a body this right of the self-governed, will claim an individual cannot be one’s own judge, for this will lead to corruption, and so upset the common society. Those who are flawed are those without thought and who do as society tells them with a complete lack of choice. I am not completely flawed.
I am not flawed. As it is the practice of modern age to conform– all over, society follows the rules and meets the standards set by government– democracies and dictators alike- and all around the world society conforms to itself; in no market will it be found a loud shopper, for all those who are flawed are quiet and unnoticed in their conformity. This is why am not flawed, for I understand, and this, this is the theme of my favorite piece of work– of art. This is the theme of John Updike’s “A&P.” This is the reality of today, a reality set at such a “perfect” temperature, nobody has time to notice the snowflakes, those flawless flakes that are quick to melt away in despair, or are shoved in the oven, put on “blast,” if you will– that is, harassed by all of society’s “perfect” weather– pressed by cookie cutters, and lost with all the rest of the fine cuts. No longer does society recognize the philosophy of “individuality,” or at least, the beauty of such a philosophy is not recognized. Instead selective perception is the result of many and used to melt away all of the snowflakes of the world, and it is an arduous task for any one to survive.
Snowflakes are flawless because snowflakes have no standards to meet. A snowflake is a snowflake and a snowflake is always perfect, for the only standard a snowflake must meet is to be different– to be a snowflake.
“A&P” is my definition. “The girls were walking against the usual traffic,” they were not “locals.” It is because of the laws of society that serve as the overlord of the world’s people that life is often so unnecessarily difficult. In “A&P,” it is not that the general crowd is shocked because there are three female bodies in bathing suits; it is because nobody ever walks into “A&P” in bathing suits. The crowd is flawed. Society today is flawed. The world is flawed, because the world expects the world to continue as it always has, and recoils like a loathsome serpent at the very thought of change.
This is the lesson of “A&P.” there are so few snowflakes left, but the ones that remain are perhaps what saves society from falling in and collapsing into a bland world of work and keeping in check. Mr. Lengel turned the girls away, embarrassed and flushed– he melted them away– and as a result, denied the world of three snowflakes that add to its color. But some make it, in this world and today’s modern society; Some, like myself and Sammy, struggle with daily life as a result, but in the end, it’s worth it, because to experience the joy of individual choice of our existential life often denied the “free” world is a blessing in itself.
I am flawed. I have never seen a snowflake. I have never seen snow, for that matter. My ultimate character flaw lies in my lack of experience– that I have taken the word of authors and philosophers before me that no snowflake is the same flaws me. My ultimate character flaw. I may think, and I may evaluate, but who am I to accept a snowflake for a snowflake? Who am I to conclude that two plus two is four or that rat is spelled R-A-T? The point is, we are all flawed, simply because we all exist, and as existing entities we all make choices and fall apart in the end. Nobody is flawless.

Reviews

[Lee*]

Interesting, deep thoughts. I'm sure all ages have required conformity. When I think of the Dark Ages and most past eras it seems to me that we've made a little progress, even if it is only nibbling at the edges of our existence. I really loved the way you brought this full circle. We all accept things others tell us, we all believe things we don't comprehend, so as you say, we are all flawed. That is why I suppose the greatest wisdom is to know that we know nothing!

[Fmasil Mom]

This is very good

[Kevin Andros]

Snowflakes are flawless because snowflakes have no standards to meet. A snowflake is a snowflake and a snowflake is always perfect, for the only standard a snowflake must meet is to be different– to be a snowflake.

A great peice! I particularly loved this point! keep on writing! ~KA~

[Valorie J. Shearer]

Very nice explaining how we are all infallible! Not one of us on this planet is without flaw or error.. take care~~~