A & P by John Updike

The story is about the life in a small town America. The highlight of the day for 19 year old Sammy was 3 girls walking into the store half naked. He did something stupid to impress them but realized very soon that he had made a mistake. But who can blame him for doing what he did, I know I cant I have made my share of stupid mistakes to impress girls when i was that age.
On a more somber note this story can be seen as a cautionary tale about making the right choices. Sammy realized that in the moment of heat he had done something stupid but merely the fact that he realized his mistake hinted that he might do ok afterwards.
The story is also a commentary on the sheepish nature of subarban America and how people in suburbia are totally immersed in their bubble.

Everyday Use By Alice Walker

This story is about the interaction of a mother and her two daughters inwhich she came to realise the true worth of her daughter who she had been neglecting up to this point. on a larger scale it is about the clash of two different point of views in the dialouge among the African Americans about their heritage. the story was written at the time when more and more African American were drawn towards their African roots in the defiance of their so called "white masters' culture."
In the story the narrator who is the mother of two daughters travels a long journey in order to find her daughter who was up to this point was seen as someone worthless. The older daughter Dee was always given special treatment which made her confident and bold and opened her to the new culture of rebellion while Maggie was unable to overcome her shyness and remained quite and subversive.