John Updike's story "A & P" epitomizes that moment of realization for most young adults, that following through with the choices one makes, and being able to accept the consequences of ones actions goes hand in hand with becoming a mature adult.
In the beginning of the story, Sammy comes off as just another naive and rebellious teen. He is bored with his mundane job at the A;P, and has some very strong opinions about the customers, referring to them as sheep. As the story progresses, Sammy realizes how much more important his convictions are to him, than the need he feels to conform to society.He uses standing up to Lengel for Queenie, as a way to finally express his opinions, instead of continuing to pretend he is happy with conformity because it is what society expects him to do.
In the beginning of the story, Sammy is construed as a very opinionated person, but his principals are not firm. He thinks one thing, but does another. He doesn't state his principles, but we can guess some of them by reading between the lines. When a woman chastises him for ringing an item up twice, he mentally insults her at the same time as apologizing out loud.
By the time I got her feathers smoothed and her goodies into a bag – she gives me a little snort in passing, if she'd been born at the right time they would have burned her over in Salem... ” (17).
He dislikes the conformity that working at the A;P represents, but admits he has done nothing to separate himself from it. When comparing himself to his coworker he remarks, “Stokesie’s married, with two babies…but as far as I can tell that’s the only difference. ” (18). He thinks that he will inevitably become just like Stokesie and in turn like the manager Lengel.
The idea of living life this way is not enticing to him. He doesn’t know what he wants, but working at the A;P is not it. We can infer that Sammy respects people who aren't afraid to break with tradition, who think for themselves and go against the grain. He doesn't respect people who are mere followers, doing what everybody else does just because it's what they've been taught.This quality is what attracts Sammy to the girl he calls Queenie. Sammy is drawn to Queenie more than the other girls because she seems confident, and does not seem to care what the customers in the store think of her.
She didn't look around, not this queen, she just walked straight on slowly, on these long white prima donna legs. ” (17). Queenies beauty, and her courage to go against society’s norm, inspires Sammy to stand up to Lengel. When Lengel scolds Queenie for not dressing properly, Sammy comes to her defense, and then he tells him, “You didn’t have to embarrass them.
” (20). He is not only trying to defend Queenie because he thinks she is pretty and wants to impress her, he is also deciding to express beliefs he has previously kept inside. By quitting, Sammy is attempting to defend the girls' principles and define his own.His act requires courage and daring. The situation with Queenie was merely a catalyst for Sammy to finally stand up for his convictions, and denounce the A;P and the social order it represents. Before Sammy describes the events that lead to him quitting, he says his family considers it the “sad part of the story”, but he does not feel the same way.
Even though in the end Sammy realizes the repercussions of his actions, he still feels it was the right thing to do, and is proud of himself for doing it. Sammy tells Lengel that he quits, and Lengel tells him, “You’ll feel this for the rest of your life. (20). Sammy mentally agrees with him, but pushes the “No Sale” tab on the register to express that does not make a difference in his decision. When he walks out of the store he comes to the realization that standing up for what you believe in is not always the easiest thing to do, he looks back at Lengel and thinks ".
.. I felt how hard the world was going to be to me hereafter. " (20). In everyone’s life, there comes a time when you have to choose either to ignore your personal opinions for society’s standards, or stand up for your own convictions.
It is never an easy choice to go against a belief or rule that is accepted by the majority of those around you. However, if you feel strongly enough, making an unconventional choice, no matter how hard it may be, can be worth it for your individual happiness. Making an unconventional decision, and accepting the consequences of your choice, is a sign of a young-adult developing from the ignorance of youth and its obsession with conformity, to the bitterness of adulthood and integrity.
