John Updike A & P Summary

Do you think a person can develop so much within a short period of time, that they have different values and views on the world? In this short story A&P, John Updike writes a compelling story about Sammy who works at the checkout line at a grocery store named A&P. The story follows the sequence of exposition to complication, conflict, climax and resolution. In addition, Sammy had to develop from a young man with conventional, middle-class views and values to a wiser and more sympathetic individual.
“In walks these three girls in nothing but bathing suits”. This introduces us to the complication that’s about to take place within the story. The lack of clothing the girls were wearing was not acceptable behavior during this point in time, which

the story takes place. It was especially not the way a young women should dress in a public place. Society as a whole, looked down upon them because it wasn’t the norm. When the girls walk in they automatically caught Sammy’s Attention. He starts to judge the girls by how they looked and what they were wearing.
The girls entering with their bathing suits becomes a difficulty in the story.

As soon as the girls come in and “there over by the bread” Sammy’s attention is on them. He is in the process of ringing up a women who he says “she’s one of these cash-register watcher”. When Sammy sees them he starts trying to break them done piece by piece. By doing this, he will get a better understanding about who they are and what their personalities might be like. He go on to say “there was this chunky one, a tall one and then the third one that wasn’t quite so tall’. She was the queen. Doing this shows how he has not evolved from his conventionally, middle-class

ways.
Then at this point in the story the conflict begins. When the girls are ready to pay and get in Sammy’s checkout lane. That’s when Lengel decides to address the issue of the girls out fit inside the story. He starts of by saying “Girls this isn’t the beach” and repeats it again. By him doing this, it tells us how the author was making an important point by using repetition. Lengel wanted the girls to know that the problem was with what they had on. He represents power in this situation. After witnessing what’s happening, Sammy realize he doesn’t like how the girls are being treated.
So when he sees how the three girls are being embarrassed this conflict brings trouble.

Sammy decides to be the hero and take up for the girls. He says “I quit”. This is an important part in the story, because he becomes a wise and sympathetic young man. Sammy is now no longing thinking the way he once did, when the girls walked in the grocery store. He believed in the cause. Which we can argue was for the girls or for his self-development. Nevertheless, he speaks up by saying “you didn’t have to embarrass them”.
Furthermore Sammy makes an important point about how Lengel treated the girls and how he acts towards them. This part of the short story leaves us with suspense wither Sammy will really leave his job because of the girls. Lengel threats Sammy in a way, when he says “Sammy you don’t want to do this to your mom and dad”. Sammy has responsibility to up hold and if he quits his job he forgets about those responsibilities. In order to protect the three girls that didn’t t really notice him.
Lastly Sammy makes a dramatic action that solves the dispute, Sammy quits and leaves his “apron with Sammy stitched in red on the pocket and put it on the counter”. Then when he is finally outside the store. He just stands outside watching his boss do the job he use to have. He comes up with the conclusion that maybe quitting wasn’t the best choice. He realizes how hard the world was going to be to him

hereafter.
In conclusion, Sammy went on this journey to find his future self. He developed more in a short period of time, than some people do in their whole entire life. He stood up for his views and values even though it might have not been the right way to go about it. But in the end it made him a wiser person because of it.