At a glance, there would seem to be little in common between the stories of Shiloh and A & P but, to look closer there can be many similarities between two major characters. The characters Norma Jean Moffitt and Sammy are both bored with life as they know it and have ambitions to make a change, but living in small towns, where families play a large roll in life, breaking out is difficult. They both have repressed feelings that they have struggled with for a while and those feelings finally surface in the end.
             In a small town, it seems that every move a person makes is known by all and because of this little around town ever changes. These feeling are illustrated in A & P when Sammy says, "there's people in this town haven't seen the ocean in twenty years". Shiloh also mentions this when it says the population has only changed by 700 in twenty years. This shows how life in smaller towns is a little slower and laid back. Also in small towns, families tend to play a larger role in every day life. A & P refers to Sammy's family when Lengel says, "Sammy, you don't want to do this to your mom and dad". He says this as if he will be a public embarrassment. The sarcasm in his voice when he refers to his friend, Stoksie. He mentions how Stoksie is just a few years older than Sammy and is married with a couple of babies "chalked up in his fuselage already". He says this as if he stays in this town he will end up in the same situation. Norma Jean is married and has a mother who tries to stay very close to her daughter and son in law. This is illustrated where it says that one day Leroy comes home from a drive and finds Norma Jean in tears. She is crying because her mother caught her smoking. This shows the bond between her and her mother because she has been old enough to smoke for many years but because she knows her mother does not approve it bothers her conscienc
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