A major theme in A&P is personal freedom. Throughout the story Updike uses metaphor for all elements in the story to implies the theme. At the beginning of the story, Sammy uses sarcastic tone to describe the customers as “sheep” and “houseslaves” which implies he is different from them in mindset. The way how Sammy talks about others shows his intellectual mind. He is not same as Stokesie who wants to be a manager one day. He also is not want to be Lengel who guards A&P for all these years. Although he is a part of these people since he has domestic difficulty, he thinks working in A&P is dull and dreary. He wants to escape from the conformity. Then, he saw the girls. “In walks these three girls in nothing but bathing suits” (746). Sammy notices …show more content…
They represent the personal freedom that they can dress anything they like in public. Then, there comes Lengel who is the most traditional person in the story. He judges the girls’ bathing suit, and calls that indecent. It means at that time people’s freedoms are still under oppressed. People should be conformed and obey authority. Sammy quits to defend for personal freedom. His quitting indicates he no longer wants to be conformed. He escapes from authority which includes Lengel and his parents. “so I say ‘I quit’ to Lengel quick enough for them[girls] to here, hoping they’ll stop and watch me” (750). Sammy intends to do so because he needs an ally since he just decides not to be a part of conformity. Nevertheless, the girls are gone and he is alone facing his problem in reality. However, he does not regret quitting. “Now here comes to the sad part of the story[quitting], at least my family says it’s sad, but I don’t think it’s so sad myself” (748). Sammy knows in order to defend for something more valuable, he must give up something which also implies his growth as a young adult. Through the conflicts between the characters, Updike implies his protest for personal