In “A & P” Updike introduces us to a store clerk named Sammy who notices three girls in their bathing suits that have recently walked into the store. As Sammy describes each girl, he gives one the nickname Queenie. Sammy notices as the customers react to how the girls are dressed as they walk down the store isles. When it’s time to checkout, the store manager, Lengel, confronts the girls for breaking store dress policy. Which leads to Sammy quitting, to try and get the girls attention, unsuccessfully, leaving him not knowing what life will bring.…
Given what you learn about Sammy during the course of the story, what do you see as his primary motivation for quitting his job? What other factors motivate…
When Lengel, Sammy’s manager criticizes the girls Sammy quits because he wants to separate himself from the repetitive and dull lifestyle Stokesie and Lengel are consumed in.…
He is stuck in a dull world, with the "sheep" and the "freeloaders". His compares himself to his co-worker, Stokesie, by claiming "Stokesie 's married, with two babies chalked up on his fuselage already, but as far as I can tell that 's the only difference". (Kirszner & Mandell, 127). Stokesie 's goal is to become the manager of the store. If Sammy continued on his course at the A & P, he took would end up just like Stokesie. Sammy wants to be free spirited, he wants to break rules. When the store manager, Lengel, approaches the girls and confronts them for wearing swimsuits, Sammy begins to break free of his dull world. He wants to show the girls that he does not stand with Lengel, he stands with them. He quits quickly and without thought, saying "I quit" loud enough for the girls to hear them. He wants them to hear him, he wants them to realize that he is not one of the store workers, not one of the sheep or the…
He was hoping that “Queenie” would be there watching him and listening to him when he was telling his manager that he didn’t approve of how he handled the situation and embarrassing the girls like he did, but they were gone before he could hold his tongue. This relates to a larger theme of the story because, it goes into tell that they girls walked in and everyone was staring at them and how they were dressed. That they were at the beach and people in this town hasn’t seen the beach in years. Then goes to explain how the boss comes to the store and tells the girls that they are not dressed properly and that they needed to get what they needed and go, and next time they come into the store to be sure to cover their…
“A&P” by John Updike features a meek cashier boy, Sammy, who has conformed to the boring lifestyle of his small town. When three girls prance into the store in swimsuits and become the most excitement the store has seen in decades, Sammy finds himself entranced by their rebellious spirit. The leader of the three girls enchants him with her beauty, confidence, and free spirit. He wants her and wants her to notice him, but he knows she won’t. When his boss, the one who subjects him to conformity, chastises the three girls, Sammy feels the need to do something for them. Sammy breaks free from his meek shell and confronts his boss by quitting on the spot. His boss tries to reel him back in with logic, but against his better judgement, Sammy carries…
The author, John Updike, uses characterization to expose Sammy’s true character. Sammy is baffled that the store manager, Lengel, would embarrass the girls in front of everyone. In their defense he stands up to Lengel and scolds him for rebuking the girl’s outfit choices. After the girls leave he then quits his job. When he quits the manager even warns him that “[he’ll] feel this for the rest of [his] life”, but Sammy follows through with his plan. Although he does…
The setting helps contribute to the insight, knowledge and understanding to the meaning of many stories. In the short story “A & P” by John Updike, the setting helps bring to life the conformity and dehumanization in an everyday life. It shows that breaking the norm of society is unacceptable.…
Lengel says to Sammy “Sammy, you don't want to do this to your Mom and Dad” (Updike 26). This quote displays that this job wasn’t to please Sammy but to please his parents. Within the last few paragraphs, the author states repeatedly how Sammy doesn’t want to disappoint his parents. Within the story the tone the author uses while Sammy talks about what he sees while working clearly displays Sammy is fed up with a planned life. The author uses the main character’s attitude towards the manager, his co-workers and his parents to fuel Sammy’s decision to quit his job. This example displays that Sammy was not working for himself but to provide for his family. During the time in which the story took place not wanting to take care of your family was outside of the norm and Sammy acknowledged that repeatedly throughout the…
After a small tense conversation between the “queen” and the manager, Sammy notices the girls are in a rush to leave and wanted to be their “unsuspecting hero”, so he quit his job on the spot. Lengel encourages him not to quit, as it would be disappointing to his mother and father. Shrugging him off, Sammy drops his apron and bow tie and leaves the store to meet up with his girls, only to find that they are long…
Sammy’s actions would suggest many things about his character. He seems to be unable to stay with the task at hand, getting distracted by things a distance away. Sammy stands by as Lengel speaks to Queenie about dressing appropriately and waits…
He wasn’t oblivious to the fact that quitting his job would haunt him for the rest of his life, but still he went through with it. This says something about his character, he’s a go getter and wants more from life and he has finally put his foot down and is going to set out on his journey to find what he really wants from life. Although, at the end of the story it says, “Looking back in the big windows, over the bags of peat moss and aluminum lawn furniture stacked on the pavement, I could see Lengel in my place in the slot, checking the sheep through. His face was dark gray and his back stiff, as if he'd just had an injection of iron, and my stomach kind of fell as I felt how hard the world was going to be to me hereafter.” He realized that he had gone about things the wrong way. Maybe he will find what he’s really searching for but it will have to be the hard way due to his actions. The girls seem to pay him no mind, which is why Sammy seems more intrigues by them as well. The old lady with the rouge cheeks called Sammy out for ringing up her hi-ho’s…
Quitting his job is his first step in achieving this goal. Although he knows that he is young, entering into the realism of adult responsibilities will widen his mind to explore and experience more. Quitting his job isn’t an optimal idea, Sammy’s motive runs much deeper than that. He is questioning for a sense of personal gain and satisfaction. By taking sides with the girls, he momentarily rises in class to meet their standards and the standards of the upper-class. Sammy is obviously near the bottom of the class ladder, a place where he is extremely unhappy. He wants the courage to set himself apart from everyone especially Lengel and be different.…
In the story “A&P” by John Updike, Sammy makes a decision to quit his job while standing up against Mr. Lengel’s unacceptable attitude toward the girls’ summer apparel. Meanwhile, talking to Mr. Lengel, Sammy remembers what his father says to him “once you begin a gesture, it’s fatal not to go through with it” (618). This remains a difficult choice because if he did not follow through with the choice, then no one would take him seriously when he has the inclination to quit. Once Sammy makes his choice, then he realizes “my stomach kind of fell as I felt how hard the world was going to be to me hereafter” (619). As well as life will get much harder without a job, especially in a small town, Sammy is not sure what to do after he quits but knows the store is not the place for him.…
The story is set in a small New England town, and it is an average day. Three young girls enter the store where Sammy, a young cashier, works. He watches and analyzes their every move, and tries to guess their personalities based on body language. Sammy identifies the leader girl as “Queenie,” and takes most interest in her. The girls are only dressed in bathing suits, and gain the attention of the other men working in the store as well. This causes tension between the male characters, and causes Sammy to wonder about his own future in comparison to his male peers. Sammy does not like seeing the girls being objectified. The manager kicks the girls out based on their inappropriate attire. In an unexpected response and strange attempt to honor the girls, Sammy quits the job, and leaves the store, but immediately is overwhelmed by the uncertain consequences his actions will bring.…