Sammy appears to be an average kid dissatisfied with his job. His close observations and criticisms for his surroundings at the supermarket, however, tell more than mere boredom; Sammy does not want to become part of the A&P universe. Thus, Updike’s “A&P” is a war between Sammy and the supermarket. Sammy sees his workplace as a dull, unchanging world, which is the complete opposite of his personality: one that embodies variation, spontaneity and flavor. Therefore, Sammy’s intense scrutiny of the girls, the customers, his colleague Stokesie, his boss Lengel, and the grocery store itself is his way of fighting the market universe. This is Sammy’s judgment day, where he finally listens to his heart and walks away before he ends up like Stokesie, who thinks he is “going to be manager some sunny day” (Updike, 16). It is at the culmination of Sammy’s battle, where he breaks away from the A&P for good; symbolized by those two little words: “I quit” (Updike, 18). Sammy has developed quite an interesting relationship with the A&P grocery store. His close observation and detailed descriptions of his surroundings and feelings toward the market indicate that Sammy is jaded from and irritated with his job and situation in life.
. . .
He takes the mistake as no big deal, whereas the customer deals with the incident with the utmost importance. On the opposing side of the battle, Sammy pictures Lengel “thinking all these years the A&P was a great dune and he was the head lifeguard” (Updike, 17). The customer’s reaction irritates Sammy and he knows that it “made her day to trip [him] up” and he figures she has been “watching cash registers for fifty years” without ever catching a mistake (Updike, 14). His admiration for Queenie increases when Lengel, his manager, begins to give the girls a hard time about the dress code in the A&P. Lengel tries to tell Sammy that he does not realize what he is doing, but Sammy says “I know you don’t, but I do” (Updike, 18). Here is another instance where Sammy’s personality is in direct conflict with that of the supermarket world. Queenie defends herself by indicating that she is only here to pick up herring snacks for her mother. Sammy doesn’t want to be stuck on Lengel’s beach, where he will have to live within the A&P universe. Sammy observes the same lackluster behavior in one of his colleagues as well. He decides that he needs better direction in his life, which makes him say “I quit” (Updike, 18). He can tell that she is leading her two friends, demonstrating that it is important to “hold yourself straight” (Updike, 15). Sammy knows where everything is located in the store. He notices her overall appearance making special note of her bathing suit and how she looks in it, but her gait, demeanor and attitude are the most important things he notices about her. .
Approximate Word count =
1728
Approximate Pages =
7 (250 words per page double spaced)
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