Comparing Updike's Home And A & P

The feeling of fitting in is something that most people look for at least once in their life. Some people want to be liked by others. While the few that do not care if people like them just want to be comfortable with themselves, but there are a few that do not fit in either of these categories. There is a few people in this world that just feel as if they do not matter in society; some may not care if they do not matter but, some dwell on the fact that they have no impact on the world in any way. Both Krebs, from “Soldiers Home,” by Ernest Hemingway and Sammy from John Updike’s “A&P,” feel as if they do not matter in society.
In “Soldiers Home,” Krebs feels as if there is no point in being an active person in the community, since he does not

belong. Once Krebs returns home as time passes by he realizes that the town that he had left before war was the same for the most part but, it then appeared to be that something has changed, the world that they live in has become complicated and has grown defined alliances and shifting feuds (Hemmingway, 134). Krebs did not have the patience or “courage” (134) to try and fit in. The way that the town he lived in was being run, and the way that people acted was different. He did not have to worry about dealing with all of the issues that would have come to his life if he would try and fit in. The world that he lived in when he was at war was more comforting to him than the world that he is coming into when the war ended. While he was at war he did not have to work to gain a females attention, they just showed up; but back to his original home he has to actually put in some effort to gain their attention. He is trying to make his life as simple as possible, even if it means to do the same exact thing every day. As long as he is not having to put in a great amount of effort than he is comfortable.
Sammy in, “A&P,” has realized that life outside of his job moves on, even if he does not. While at work Sammy thought it was the perfect place to try and get the attention of a few girls by quitting his job instead of worrying about his job. When he took off his apron and the bow tie that he was required to wear, he then began to walk out of the doors of the super market. Once he was outside he then looked around for the girls he was trying to impress but, they were nowhere to be found. Sammy then looked back into the store and saw his boss working on the same cash register that Sammy was on. At that moment he felt how hard the world was going to be to him from not on (Updike 162). Sammy began to realize that quitting his job was not the smartest thing to do. Also it did not matter to anyone else but himself if he quit or stood at the job. He could be replaced at any moment. If he would have stayed at the supermarket then he would be getting a paycheck every week, but since he left Sammy is the only one who had lost in this situation.
Sammy from “A&P” and Krebs from “Soldiers Home” are in two different points in their life but they both do not fit in the society that they are in. Krebs just wants to feel comfortable in his life and does not want to worry about anything that is unnecessary to worry about. Sammy on the other hand has realized that he can be replaced and although he got fired it does not make a difference to anyone else but himself. Both Krebs and Sammy have made it clear that they need to do what is best for them and not try to fit it.