(David Pulling's English 1002 class at LSU-Eunice is reading and discussing John Updike's short story "A&P.")
Updike's story is set in 1961 in an A&P supermarket chain store. In the late 1960's, A&P was the largest national supermarket chain in the country. A&P stores were common in South Louisiana in those days, too--I remember a store in Ville Platte as recently as the late 80's or early 90's, in fact. Of course, I worked at an A&P in my home town of Covington during the late 60's and early 70's when I was in high school and the early years of college. A&P's were common throughout the state in those days, with a major warehouse facility on Jefferson Highway in Metairie.
Just so you'll know, A&P (short for "The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company") is still around in other parts of the country, although I haven't seen a store in South Louisiana in years. You can visit their web site at http://www.apsupermarket.com/.
The A&P store fronts in the 60's and 70's were marked by a distinctive colonial style architecture--very appropriate to support Lengel's "traditional American values" theme! If you're observant, you can still see that colonial architecture in abandoned strip malls throughout small Louisiana towns where A&P stores used to be located.
Does anybody remember an A&P supermarket besides the "old" teacher?
5 comments:
Mr. Pulling,
Your not so old. I also remember A & P in Ville Platte. Of course, that is my hometown. I believe it was around until early 90's. I can remember shopping there with my mom. I can find out when it closed, a good friend of mine's father in law worked till it closed. I think that is what made the story kinda interesting b/c it was about an A & P store.
Mr. Pulling
My dad worked at A&P in New Orleans back in the 70's and my godfather just retired from there a two years ago. They would sit in the yard and talk about the many adventures they had working at the A&P. So, Sammy wasn't the only one with a story to tell.
Reading stories about things and places that I am familiar with are more interesting to me because I'm able to compare and "enhance" my memories of them
This is so neat. I don't remember an A&P store either but I would love to have saw one. I didn't realize they had this store in Louisiana.
Wait. I can't be getting that old. I just hit 30 and I vividly remember the A&P store in my little town. As a matter of fact, I still go in there and buy stuff from time to time--same building, new name (Save-a-Center). Sometimes though, they still put your stuff in an old A&P plastic bag. No kidding. They must have a lifetime supply.
Yes, Jared, you are that old! lol.
That Sav-a-Center must be a corporate subsidiary of A&P. The only places you find A&P anymore are in the Northeast (according to the website), but Sav-A-Center's are still around--Obviously, in Baton Rouge where you live. And, that old A&P warehourse I remember on Jefferson Highway in Metairie is now a Sav-A-Center warehouse--I noticed that a few months ago on the way into New Orleans.
So don't worry--you're not THAT old. One day, you'll be as old as me, and then you'll have something to worry about.
lol
DPulling
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