Sammy is a young boy who has a job as a register clerk in a grocery store called A&P.
One summer day he notices three girls who enter the store wearing only their bathing suits. Throughout their time in the store looking for snacks, Sammy is admiring them and noticing everything about them. He notices how they look and how they carry themselves, and he wonders what their personalities are like and why they would come into a grocery store in their bathing suits. One of the girls he names “Queenie” and refers to her as the leader of the group. He admires her looks and the way that she wears her bathing suit, with the top straps hanging off her shoulders. Without ever seeing her before, he instantly becomes infatuated. He stated “She held her head so high her neck, …show more content…
The longer her neck was, the more of her there was”. “Plaid” is the nickname he gives to one of Queenie’s friends who is seemingly plump and wearing a plaid two piece. He referred to this one as having “one of those chubby berry faces, the lips all bunched together under her nose”. The other girl who accompanied Queenie, was labelled “Big Tall Goony Goony” by Sammy and he stated that she “had a chin that was too long, you know, the kind of girl other girls think is very “striking” and “attractive” but never quite makes it, as they very well know, which is why they like her so much”. As the girl’s finish their shopping and find what they came for, they head the register to check out. Sammy is hopeful that they will end up at his checkout station and that’s exactly where they go. Upon their arrival to the register, they meet the owner of the store, Lengel, who does not make them feel welcome. He firmly states “This isn’t the beach” and “We want you decently dressed when you come in here”. Queenie immediately gets defensive and says “We are decent”. Lengel responds and says