Sammy, is a 19-year-old working as a cashier at an A&P. The theme becomes very obvious from the very beginning of the story. Sammy thinks that most people that he sees in his store are “sheep” (“A&P – John Updike”). To Sammy, everyone is the same; boring and lacking character, “The sheep pushing their charts down the aisle…” (“A&P – John Updike”). It is apparent that he is anxious to get out of the mold that he has been stuck in, but he doesn’t know how until the opportunity is presented to him. The opportunity finally presents itself when Sammy stops daydreaming and actually breaks free from the conventions of society when he meets Queenie. By quitting his job, Sammy experiences what it means to be free from the social norm (“SparkNotes: A7P: …show more content…
According to Sammy, they are nothing but sheep going through the motions of life” (“A&P – John Updike”). He tends to view most of the people in the store negatively; living boring and useless lives, “I bet you could set off dynamite in an A&P and the people would by and large keep reaching and checking oatmeal off their lists…” (“A&P – John Updike”). It is clear that Sammy wants to get out of this job, he just doesn’t know how or when, that is until in walks three girls in bathing suits. Sammy and Stokesie clearly admire these girls. Even McMahon at the meat counter was “sizing up their joints” (“A&P – John Updike”). According to the story, it was the norm for the customers to be somewhat quiet and move in the direction of the isle traffic flow. Customers aren’t expected to be happy or excited like the girls were while walking through the isles. Their manner should reflect their dull middle class lives. In contrast, the girls, are cheerful and happy. They radiate sexuality and confidence, and break the noise codes of the store. They walk against the regular flow of traffic and wonder around instead of following the same routine the rest of the shoppers follow (“A&P – John …show more content…
Lengel spots the girls and gives them a hard time about the way they are dressed, embarrassing them. Scolding them that “this isn’t the beach” (“A&P – John Updike”), he claims they are not dressed appropriately and to come dressed according to policy next time. Queenie, who isn’t even given enough time to explain why she is there, is berated and is extremely embarrassed; as shown by her blushing. Sammy does not approve of Lengel’s reactions and thinks that he was wrong to berate the girls for their choice of clothing. Sammy is delighted by the freedom that the girls seem to have and wants to break the rules like they do. He thinks that they have a sense of liberty that he doesn’t have and this makes him want to rebel in order to achieve this. When the owner of the store prosecutes the girls, Sammy eventually takes their side because he wants to become one of them, “The girls, and who’d blame them, are in a hurry to get out, so I say “I quit” to Lengel quick enough for them to hear, hoping they’ll stop and watch me, their unsuspected hero” (“A&P – John Updike”). Despite Sammy’s efforts, his impulsive decision to rebel is not successful. The ending is quite ironic as well because Sammy never sees the girls again and his attempt to join them in their freedom does not happen. Although his fantasy of freedom wasn’t achieved, the story “A&P”