Power Of Choice In John Updike's A & P

As Ayn Rand once said “Every man builds his world in his own image. He has the power to choose, but no power to escape the necessity of choice”. In the short story A & P, by John Updike, the power of choice is explored through an 18 year old Sammy who quits his job after witnessing three girls in bikinis come into an A & P. Sammy quits his job upon seeing these girls because their boldness make him realize how dull his daily life is, as well as showing him that he is wasting his youth away in the store, and that his parents have a very large role in him being a cashier. Sammy’s mundane environment influenced him quitting because he saw his youth when the young girls came into the store in their bikinis. Sammy perceives himself as unique and

Sammy does not describe the three young girls in a loving manner but more so in astonishment, “ She was a chunky kid, with a good tan and a sweet broad soft-looking can with those two crescents of white just under it, where the sun never seems to hit, at the top of the backs of her legs” (Updike 430). Upon witnessing the girls, Sammy throws out insults and compliments based off of the girl’s appearances in his head which shows that he is not in complete infatuation with them. Sammy’s description of the girls paints them as incredibly average with the only thing really popping out about them is the swimsuit they wear. Sammy’s fixation on the girl’s swimsuit shows that he loves the idea of boldness the girl’s brought into the store. Before the girls came in, A & P was deserted which amplified his feeling for the girls “The store's pretty empty, it being Thursday afternoon, so there was nothing much to do except lean on the register and wait for the girls to show up again” (Updike 433). Sammy’s career is dull and the only thing he has to look forward to is staring at three random female customers. Sammy, bound behind a register in uniform, is mesmerized at seeing how the girls broke store rules by wearing a bikini in the middle of town. However, the memorization does not lead to any deeper connections with the girls “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” (Updike 434). Sammy quietly quits to his boss while the three girls are leaving the store in order to receive attention. Had Sammy defended the girls publically, it would be clear that he felt some emotional connection to them. However, Sammy cowardly quits to his boss after the girls were done defending