Why Does Sammy Quit His Job

Why Does Sammy Quit His Job? Sammy is a middle class nineteen year old checker at the towns A&P store. He has already decided he wants more than a middle class life can offer, now lays the problem of how to fulfill his dream. Sammy is all about details and immature in many ways. He thinks he is superior to his coworkers, opinionated and sarcastic. He is a dreamer and fantasizes as he rings up the customers groceries. Sammy thinks he has everyone figured out in comparison to himself. For example his co worker Stokes; he is a 22 years old, married has two children and whom Sammy assumes wants to be manager of A&P in 30 or so years. Sammy doesn’t see Stokes as wanting more for his family, content in the middle class life, in a middle class town, having a middle class job. Lengel, the manager of A&P; Sammy sees as hiding behind the door with a title. Sammy has very little respect for Lengel’s opinion or his actions towards the girls that come into A&P. Sammy sees Lengel as a rule follower upholding the “manager oath” of loyalty and respect for “his” store and their reputation. Lengel doesn’t care where you are from (social class) rules are rules and are meant to be followed. Sammy also sees Lengel as a “goodie two shoes”, because he mentioned that he is a Sunday school teacher and wants his authority to be known to his employees and his patrons. Sammy is caught between being an adult and a child. He has no clear plans as to his goal of moving on and out of this town and his current social class other than fantasizing as customers of the A&P come in to shop and what their life must be like and why he does or doesn’t like it. He has a tendency to stereotype the patrons, and this is where his immaturity really shows. He refers to the shoppers as “sheep”, following the same pattern in the aisles as they use their pushcarts to carry the items off their shopping list. The ladies shopping are “house slaves” with pin curlers, or they have varicose veins and six children. Any way you look at Sammy’s description of the patrons he belittles them and their lifestyle. At the same time, he is belittling his own mom and his upbringing. Sammy always has to be right. His opinion of the lady who carefully watched him ringing her items when he made a mistake was a “cash- register- watcher”; “one whom had watched for fifty years and never seen a mistake”, he called her a witch in his head one that would have been burned in Salem if she would have been born at the right time. All of this because he wasn’t paying attention and had to be right. Sammy’s distraction was caused by three unusual shoppers, unusual in that they were young ladies scantily clad. The three young ladies were described to be about Sammy’s age, wearing bathing suits and barefoot. This was considered unacceptable behavior for the center of town, where the A&P store is located. As Sammy goes on to describe the town and its setting, the view from the front of the store is the Congregational Church, the newspaper store and several real estate offices. They are several miles from the nearest beach, and it is referred to as the “Point”. This would be where the “wealthy” live and vacation. This is Sammy’s ultimate goal, to be able to break in to this class of living. His perception is that they work hard but have plenty of time for playing with fancy parties and “fufu” drinks. Unlike his own parents whose idea of a good party is lemonade and Schlitz beer in cartoon inscribed glasses. Sammy is envious of what he thinks is real life. The “girls” as referred to are different than the ones Sammy and his coworkers are used to seeing come in to shop. The girls that are regulars along with their mom’s would never come in scantily clad. They would always wear and shirt and a pair of shorts over their swimsuits, it is just the proper thing to do. Sammy is attracted to the rebel in them, especially the one he has nicknamed “Queenie”. She is described as tall, slender and walks with confidence, while the other girls with her are just following her lead. They are all showing a little more skin than considered acceptable in the center of town, and probably for the time period for anywhere other than the beach. This is totally intriguing to Sammy, he is admiring Queenie’s confidence, along with her other assets she has no problem flaunting. As she and her “court” move throughout the store, everyone is watching their every move, workers and patron’s alike until Lengel appears. He is unhappy that these girls have no respect for his store and his patron’s. He views their behavior unacceptable and tells Queenie and her entourage so as they check out at Sammy’s register. Sammy is upset that Lengel speaks to them about their attire and in an attempt to get Queenie’s attention tells Lengel his is quitting right there on the spot. Lengel tries to give Sammy a chance to retract but Sammy believes he has to follow through with what he started. Sammy’s quest for attention fails, and now he is without a job also. The question still remains, “Why did Sammy quit his job?” Putting all the fact together, I believe Sammy quit his job for several reasons, he as immature and didn’t think through what the outcome would be. He was attracted to another lifestyle he had been fantasizing about. He wanted better for himself and his future no matter what the cost. Lastly he was defying authority and values he had been taught growing up in this part of the town, searching for the pot of gold on what he perceived to be the other side of the rainbow.