Both stories are "rite of passage" stories: one is about a
boy (Sammy) and the other is about a girl named Edie. "Rite of passage" refers to the
passing from an age of innocence, naiveté, and simplicity, when the world is as it
appears--nothing hidden and no need to confront the seriousness of the world, to that
moment (perhaps not even remembered) when we all leave "childhood" (including
adolescence) behind.
A rite of passage can present itself
in a variety of ways: significantly a bar mitzvah or turning sixteen. Sometimes it's a
cultural, physical or mental transition, and with some young people, it happens much
earlier than one would wish with, as an example, a death in the family or something that
forces one to "grow up."
However, in both stories, our
protagonists see the world simplistically, with a beauty that comes with youth.
Updike's A&P is an exquisitely written story that allows
us to remember, with amazing clarity, how simple and wonderful life was when we would
see an amazing girl (or guy) and see nothing but the beauty. There is nothing sexual
here, just an appreciation for a truly wonderful work of nature, like a work of
art.
Though Edie's story (in "How I Met My Husband") is not
so carefully presented--with the same details or deeply observed appreciation of Chris
(see Updike's imagery in A&P), the pilot--still the story
circles around how she feels about him and about life, in general. There is still an
easy innocence on Edie's part, as when she plays "dress up" with Mrs. Peebles' evening
gown and make-up, how Edie responds to Chris' advances, and how she waits each day for a
promised letter that never comes. Edie is innocent, naive, and even a little
rebellious. She lets Chris kiss her, and it is only his
self-restraint that keeps it from going beyond a simple kiss; it's not that Edie seems
to know what is beyond--it's just that kiss. And when Chris'
fiancee becomes accusatory towards Edie when Chris slips off, Edie becomes rebellious,
admitting to something far more serious than a kiss to antagonize Alice, when in fact
(once again) she doesn't convey that she knows what comes after the
kiss.
In writing your thesis statement, I would present the
idea that these are both "rite of passage" stories. That they capture the innocence of
life before we learn to know the world, with its complications, difficulties, and even
pain. And somewhere in the essay, be sure to note the significant moment when the
passage is complete: Edie realizes there is no letter coming, and Sammy quits his job
even knowing that things will never be the same.
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