Grammar

Doing What’s Right Can Be So Hard In John Updike’s “A & P” Sammy, the main character of the story encounters three young girls who come into his grocery store. They are dressed for a day at the beach, not shopping. “The one that caught my eye first was the one in the plaid green two-piece. 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.” (Updike) Sammy goes on to say the girls are barefoot and in describing another of the girls says the straps on her swimsuit are down. Their apparel gives them some unintended attention. Lengel, the A & P manager, confronts the three girls, reminding them they are not at the beach. The girls try to defend themselves stating the reason they are in the store is to pick up one item for one of the girls’ mothers. Lengel does not care and tells the girls it does not matter why they are in the store but they need to be decent when they came in to do any sort of shopping. Sammy does not like the way Lengel made a scene and embarrassed the girls. He feels he must follow his heart and stand up for the three girls by quitting his job. In my life, exploring the option of homeschooling my three children, I feel there could be unintended negative consequences as well. Weighing the pros and cons of the decision is a heavy task, but in the end I must do what is right for my family despite outside obstacles, just as Sammy had to do what he felt was right. Sadly, doing what is right for you often times is rejected by main stream society and can therefore bring uphill challenges that accompany your decision. The characters of Updike’s fictional story are quite comparable to the characters in my real life event. Sammy, the store clerk and main character is in a situation a lot like me. He really notices the three young girls and overall, likes what he sees. I look at homeschooling and really like what I