Quote-Response Assignment

"The sheep pushing their carts down the aisle--the girls were walking against the usual traffic (not that we have one-way signs or anything)--were pretty hilarious. You could see them, when Queenie's white shoulders dawned on them, kind of jerk, or hop, or hiccup, but their eyes snapped back to their own baskets and on they pushed" (Updike, 16).

This quote stood out to me and struck me as important because of how much is said in just two sentences. When Updike describes the regular customers as "sheep" a picture is instantly painted in my mind of customers, single file, going about their shopping without straying. The quote also includes the words "jerk, or hop, or hiccup" to describe the customers' reactions to seeing the girls scantily clad in their grocery store. The quote effectively describes just how much of an upset these girls' presence had to the normal day to day in this market.

The story is based on young girls coming into a grocery store in swimsuits and basically turning the place upside-down without ever making an overt attempt to do so. This quote alludes to the girls' attire ("Queenie's white shoulders") and how the customers reacted. In two sentences, this quote sums up the source of conflict for the story and how the characters react to the conflict. It also describes how the narrator feels about the conflict and the characters in the store. Clearly the narrator finds humor in the customers' reactions. The customers were obviously taken aback by the girls and we can infer that they were probably appalled by the upset to their normal expectations and routine. The narrator finds all of this "hilarious" and continues watching the girls move throughout the store with a sort of awe and appreciation.

I wonder if this is where "No shoes, no shirt, no service" got its start.