Point of view is defined as the perspective from which the story is narrated. It also relates the speaker's intentions or purpose for telling the story. Point of view changes from character to character, which can also affect the meaning of the story. Different characters have different perceptions of how the story takes place. Examining the view of each character can lead to different interpretations of the meaning of the story. However, the perspective of the narrator controls and influences the reader's understanding of any story.
             In "A & P" the narrator, Sammy, is also the main character telling the story from his point of view. Sammy is a young man working as a cashier in a grocery store in a small town north of Boston a fair distance from the beach. The story takes place at his job, when three girls enter the store in skimpy bathing suits. Sammy is awe-struck by the girls' appearance since customers generally don't come to his grocery store inappropriately dressed. The first thing Sammy says is "In walked these three girls in nothing but bathing suits" (p. 881). He creates a clear image of them and the store with his detailed description of their mannerisms and appearance, specifically Queenie's "long white prima-donna legs" (p. 881). Sammy's attention briefly shifts from Queenie to a daydream where Sammy is standing in her living room with her parents eating herring snacks. He boldly stands up to Lengel, the Manager, and quits his job to be her "unsuspected hero" (p. 884). The girls,
             "Queenie and Plaid and Big Tall Goony-Goony" (p. 884) quickly leave without acknowledging his gesture. It's apparent that Sammy does not enjoy his job anyway. He describes the customers as "house slaves in pin curlers " (p. 884), "a witch about fifty" (p. 881) and "scared pigs in a chute" (p. 882).
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