The short story "A & P" written by John Updike is told from the young man Sammy's point of view. This story symbolically is about how there are two types of people in society: the conservative type and the freer spirited. It shows how Sammy, his manager Lengel, and the other employees and customers handle and view the three half naked girls.
             Sammy starts the story off telling about three young girls wearing nothing but bathing suits in a grocery market. This shows that the girls don't care much about the rules. As the people see them walking around half -naked they all cannot believe what they are seeing. The other employees such as Stokesie, who is married and the father to two babies, comments to Sammy that the girls make him "feel so faint." Also McMahon begins "patting his mouth and looking after them, sizing up their joints" showing the conservative type of people. Regardless, the girls just walk around wearing no shoes and barely any clothing at a store where everyone is fully dressed and orderly.
             As the manager Mr. Lengel enters the story our first impression of him is as a hard worker because Sammy says that he "comes in from struggling with a truck full of cabbages." Mr. Lengel represents the conservative type of people. He enforces the rules to the girls and says "Girls, this isn't the beach," repeatedly. Mr. Lengel actions are what push Sammy and also make him realize where he belongs.
             Sammy switches sides from working at A & P, listening and taking orders to quitting and possibly joining the rule breaking girls. This transition shows the difference between the conservatives and the freer spirited. He tells Mr. Lengel that "You didn't have to embarrass them," to which Mr. Lengel replies, "It was they who were embarrassing us." Since Sammy is clearly not embarrassed, the "us" refers not to Sammy but to Mr. Lengel and the entire town his attitude rep...