ENG 209: The development of the short story as a literary form. Reading, discussion, and analysis of short stories by major writers such as Chekhov, Gilman, Joyce, Hemingway, Wright, O'Connor, Baldwin, Carver, Oates, and others, in relation to their social and intellectual milieu. Class hrs. 3. Prerequisites: ENG 101, 102 (Comp & Lit I & II).
This class will be conducted in accordance with WCC's Student Code of Conduct and Academic Honesty Policy:
Cheating, plagiarism, or any other form of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated under any circumstances.
WCC’s Academic Honesty Policy is available online at:
An Introduction to Fiction (Eleventh Edition), by X. J. Kennedy and Dana Giola
ISBN 10: 0-20568788-1
ISBN 13: 978-0-205-68788-6
I remember being at the age of 5, and I had to go the bathroom. My mother told me that I had to go to the front of the store and ask for the bathroom key to gain access. I went to the front where I meet up with the store manager, and asked him for the key to the bathroom. He told me just a moment that he had to look for the key. As I stood there waiting, I realized that I couldnt wait any longer this was becoming an emergency. I began to cross my legs praying that I could hold it in. THe store manager finally gave me the key as I sprinted to the back of the grocerry store, and stuck the key into the hole. Panicing I jammed the key, and started to turn it. Shockingly the key got stuck in the hole and bent. Part of the key was stuck in the hole making it impossible to now enter the bathroom, and the second I stopped crossig my legs, I peed my pants. I remember sitting on the floor crying as my mother came towards me and saw what had happened. We were forced to leave the store immediately since I needed a change of clothes. I can still remember the embarrassment.
ReplyDeleteGrowing up with in a big family, we were always taking trips to the A & P all together. Being one of the youngest, I was always getting pushed around. I remember going to the store with my aunt and three of my older cousins. We were given a couple of items each to pick up for my aunt. They decided to make it a contest to see who can finish first. After begging to be a part of the game, my cousins finally agreed. Once we began franticly looking for our items, and I was ahead, I realized I actually had a shot at beating the boys at something. I was so eager to beat them at their own game that I began to run once I got to the last item on my list. I obviously got yelled at by several employees, but I refused to listen. I wanted to complete my list before my cousins no matter what it took. Too bad I was never able to rub it in their faces that I won, because I never got that last item. I slipped and feel on open yogurt and tumbled to the floor. I think I was crying more because I knew I could not finish the game rather than the pain I felt in my left foot. Although my cousins absolutely frustrate me, they came to help and made me feel so much better. Then when I later found out I broke my foot, they stopped pushing me around. Of course that all changed when I got my cast off and it was back to their old ways!
ReplyDeleteWhen i was 7 years old, my dad took me and my sister to the A&P to do some grocery shopping. After being in there for what seemed to be a while we started getting ancy. The usual game of fire truck, where I stood at the front of the cart and my sister stood by the push bar, was getting old so we decided to play tag. As we were running around, my dad started getting irritated. Looking behind me to see where my sister was, I was not paying attention to the display of hair coloring products in my path. All of a sudden, Bam! I ran right into the display knocking it over and scattering hair coloring products all over the floor. Seeing this my dad became very upset and started yelling at me. While we were picking up all the products and rebuilding the display, an old lady walked by and reminded us this is why we shouldn't play around in the store. This added to my embarrassment. Looking back at this memory gives me a good laugh.
ReplyDeleteI'd never even heard of "A & P" until I moved to New York from Southern California in 2005. There's an A & P just a couple of blocks from where I live. I'll never forget the shocks I had the first few times I shopped there. The supermarkets in California have wide aisles, so three people can pass through at one time without bumping into each other; not so at the A & P -- in fact, it's as treacherous and difficult to navigate the aisles of the A & P as it is to fight traffic on the westbound 287 as it approaches the Tappan Zee Bridge; the "drivers" are equally aggressive and rude. In California, if there are more than two people in line, the manager calls for another checker; if it's really busy, the manager him/herself will open up a check stand and keep it open until the lines have gone down. Not so at the A & P. A person can stand in line interminably, and no one cares a hoot, least of all the manager who struts around like a puffed up peacock perusing the lines while simultaneously ignoring them. Finally, is there anyone ruder than an A & P cashier? Shocking, in my opinion! One time I went to the A & P to purchase popcorn. I do not buy microwave popcorn; I buy Jolly Time and pop from scratch. I went to the popcorn section (just like I’ve always done in California). No Jolly Time!! I searched and searched. Nothing!! I put on my glasses, and searched some more. Still nothing!! When I couldn't find the bags of Jolly Time, I went to the customer service counter and asked for help. After ignoring me for several minutes, the cashier finally acknowledged me. When I asked for Jolly Time popcorn, she sent me back to the same aisle. I looked everywhere – again. Now I was frustrated. I went back to the customer service clerk, apologized and indicated I needed help. She glared at me, came out from behind the counter and stomped off in front of me. I followed her down the "popcorn" aisle, but instead of going to the end of the aisle where the microwave popcorn was on the right side, she stopped midway to her left, in the middle of the "chips" section, reached up to the top shelf and pulled down the bag of Jolly Time I had for. My mind was boggled. I couldn’t wrap my head around what had just happened. I asked, "What is the Jolly Time doing here in the middle of the chips?" Her curt reply, "There's no room with the other popcorn products," (her intonation "you stupid pain in the a**”) and she stomped off leaving me so stupefied it was several minutes before I was able to regain my composure. That incident occurred about four years ago. To this day, the Jolly Time popcorn is still in the middle of the chips aisle, on the top shelf, between the Lays Potato Chips and the Restaurant Style Tortilla Chips -- but at least I know where to find it! And yes – yes – yes -- I know, Toto, we’re not in Kansas anymore!
ReplyDeleteWhen I was 7 years old I found a 20 dollar bill on the floor in front of the deli counter at the A&P and I ran away from my mother to the registers to buy as much candy as I could. When I got to the register and layed down all my candy (which was much more than 20 dollars worth) the cashier asked me if I was with an adult and I said yes because I was afraid to lie and the lady called my mother over the loud speaker to retrieve me from the front register...a little embarassing....
ReplyDeleteHmm, if I recall correctly I was in the 8th grade and my friends and I were out in town and it was passed 11pm and everything in Hastings closes at 11 if not earlier. Neither of us had a car and I really had to pee. So I walk into the A&P to ask for the key, but my friend had to pee also so being a good friend I let her go in first and the next thing you know she walks out with the bathroom key locked in. At this point we are super embarrassed and didn't want to tell the lady who gave us the key so we ran out and I still hadn't peed. So my friends told me to go up on top of the parking lot to pee so I'm up there peeing and a car cop passes by. Thank the lord the cop didn't stop, it just kept on going by. I quickly picked up my pants and like ran from the rooftop. And the next day, I told my friend who worked at the A&P what had happened and he told me that there were cameras up on-top of the roof and people probably saw me peeing. Till this day I don't know if I was seen by anyone, but to think that someone saw an 8th grader peeing at like midnight on the roof of the A&P is quite embarrassing.
ReplyDeleteLOL, Shaina, that's the A & P where I shop. I'll never be able to drive up the driveway onto Route 9 again without remembering your story!! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, everybody, for sharing your stories! I think John Updike would have very much enjoyed reading about your experiences -- I certainly did!
ReplyDeleteWhen we first moved to New Rochelle, the supermarket in the Quaker Ridge Shopping Center was the A&P. Then, it became a Food Emporium. Now, in the last few months, it is back to being an A&P. I found out that the two stores are owned by the same corporation. I don’t remember a particular outrageous shopping experience at the A&P, but I do know an old joke about the A& P.
ReplyDeleteQ: Did you hear that Stop& Shop and A&P have now merged?
A: Yes- the new store is called Stop &P.
Based on my some of my classmates’ experiences at A&P, it is a very appropriate name.
Adam, your joke is a hoot!!! LOL :)
ReplyDelete