Sammy makes a bold, daring choice in “A&P,” by John Updike. He works at a dull, ordinary grocery store called the A&P. His dreary manager, Lengel, confronts three attractive girls in bathing suits as they wait in Sammy’s line to check out their fancy herring snacks. Lengel embarrasses the girls for what they are wearing, influencing Sammy to quit his job. The incident fuels his already growing dislike for his job at the cash register, and gives him a reason to quit. Sammy doesn’t agree with his manager’s view on the situation, and tries to express his disapproval by leaving. However, he may have just felt the need to follow through on his declaration of quitting, despite seeing it as illogical and hurtful.

Sammy expresses the “cash register …show more content…
At one point, he almost starts laughing at Lengel, but Lengel notices (Line 216). Sammy dislikes the manager, calling him dreary, though he admits that Lengel is very observant (Line 191-2). He finally confronts him after the girls have left, getting angrier after each sentence (Line 273) which leads to him “sauntering into the … sunshine” (Line 302-5) leaving Lengel in his place.

Sammy feels that after he has said that he is going to quit, he must follow through on it (Line 289-90). He realizes that he will hurt his parents with this decision, but is determined to stand up for the girls (Lines 287-8). He almost backs down when he thinks of the consequences his choice will have on himself, but remembering the pretty girls blushing fires him up again (Lines 294-7).

Sammy held a long dislike for his job at the A&P, finding the customers boring, rude, and irritating. He hated his manager, and the way Lengel treated the girls angered him to the point of it blocking out any rational thought against quitting. The combination of these two things pushed Sammy beyond his limits, practically forcing him to leave his job at the grocery