A & P Analysis

“A&P” The narrator’s name is Sammy. He is called this name by his boss as he his ringing up a customer. He is a very observant young man and this clearly shown by these two quotes “She was a chunky kid, with a good tan and a sweet broad soft-looking can with those two crescents of white just under it, where the sun never seems to hit, at the top of the backs of her legs.” and "this one, and a tall one, with black hair that hadn't quite frizzed right, and one of these sunburns right across under the eyes, and a chin that was too long -- you know, the kind of girl other girls think is very "striking" and "attractive" but never quite makes it, as they very well know, which is why they like her so much”. Not many people would think of these things
He also likes to create his own fantasies in his own head. For example he imagined how Quinine’s family interacts with each other; “Her father and the other men were standing around in ice-cream coats and bow ties and the women were in sandals picking up herring snacks on toothpicks off a big plate and they were all holding drinks the color of water with olives and sprigs of mint in them.”. Sammy is also kind of sarcastic. This quote clearly depicts this “The bow tie is theirs, if you've ever wondered”. Obviously the bow tie belongs to the store. Stoksie is quite immature and the way he acts does not match he’s situation. He’s married with two kids but his behavior suggests that he’s a teenager. This is illustrated through this quote "Oh Daddy," Stokesie said beside me. "I feel so faint.”. In this quote he is referring to girls for the reason he “feels so faint”. Lengel is a very strict character and this made clear to the reader because right when he saw the three ladies he immediately told them to leave his
“The years have put words to the things I knew in that moment, and as I look back upon it, I know that that that moment marked the end of innocence.”. This quote shows that she had lost her innocence. She also realizes the symbolic nature of the marigolds. they symbolize hope. The reader knows this from the last line in the story “And, I, too, have planted marigolds.”. This shows that she believes that she has found “beauty in the midst of ugliness and sterility” just like Miss