A And P
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The encounter of Sammy, the main character in John Updikes “A & P” with a trio of swimsuit clad girls in the grocery store where he works covers many of the themes central to adolescence, including accepting the consequences of ones choices. When Sammy quits in protest of how the girls are treated by the stores manager, he knows that from now on, the world will be a more difficult place. Although it may seem like an immature reaction, Sammys defiance of Lengel in support of the girls shows that Sammy has indeed matured, proven by the fact that he supports his principals and does not accept what conventional society dictates
Sammy is a good natured, average 19-year-old boy who works at the local grocery store, the A & P He is not unusually bored with his tedious job because he manages to find amusement by making by exchanging disrespectful jokes with Stokesie, his fellow co-worker, making sarcastic observations of customers, and by looking at girls. When the three girls in bathing suits come into the store, Sammy is distracted by the beauty of one girl and the authority of the girl he calls Queenie. (Updike 298). During the time they are in the A & P, Sammy describes their appearance, behavior, and his impression of them in great detail. Sammy watches each of the girls as they look around the store, but Queenie is the one that catches his attention most. Lengel after having the seen the way the girls are dressed throws them out of the store, at which time Sammy decides that he can no longer be oppressed by the conservative nature of his 1960s.
When Sammy stands up to Lengel does not condemn