John Updike wrote many books and short stories. Many of his characters resembled people he knew or they reflected his views on what was going on in America (Interview 75-79). They expressed his views on the value system that people lived by. One of these ideas was individualism. Individualism has not always been present in society. Up until the late 1960's, people accepted whatever was happening around them. Very few stood up for themselves or for others. Many people wished to, but were too afraid to speak up. They had to find other ways of expressing what they really thought. John Updike's idea of individuality expressed through the character of Sammy, in "A&P," closes the gap between the 1950's value system and today.
             To be an individual is characterized by many things. An individual knows how to think for themselves. They strive for independence and put their needs in front of others. If something is considered, "the thing to do," they will steer in the opposite direction. An individual wants to be seen differently from the rest of society. They want to have uniqueness unlike any other.
             Conformists, on the other hand, are people who thrive on being accepted. They wear the trendy clothes and put a group's best interest ahead of their own. They act in whatever way is acceptable to the group they wish to be apart of. Conformists tell people what they want to hear rather than speaking their own mind. They are prisoners within themselves. They are monotonous and carry on the same way day in and day out. Conformists are amusing due to their lack of thought. Sammy recognizes this when he refers to the shoppers as, "The sheep pushing their carts down the aisle" (Literature 13).
             In the late 1950's, individuality was rarely seen. People wanted to be just like their neighbors. They moved into houses identical to those all around them. Men always wore suits...