The Struggle In John Updike's A & P

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On February 1st, 2018 Kylie Jenner gave birth to her first child. Kylie is the youngest of the Jenner-Kardashian clan but for sure one of the quickest to mature by having her first baby at only twenty years old. In the story “A&P” by John Updike the narrator, Sammy, matures as the story goes on. Sammy learns about consequences after he makes a big choice. Sammy also learns that what he wants is not always what you get. Finally Sammy puts these girls he just met before himself which really shows him thinking of others. In the story “A&P” by John Updike the character, Sammy undergoes transitions from innocence to experience. In the story “A&P” Sammy learns many things, mostly consequences to his prior actions. Sammy also learns that he is mature …show more content…

When Lengel says ,“We want you decently dressed when you come in here” (Updike) it reminds Sammy that these girls should not even be in the store. He is so happy to see these ladies, but his boss ruins his ideal happiness by asking them to cover up. Before Sammy makes the decision to quit his job he hears Lengel say this. When he realizes the girls are going to leave, he quits his job to try and save these ladies or bring all their attention to him. Sammy says, “ I look around for the girls but they’re gone, of course” (Updike) meaning that Sammy goes to find these girls but he can not find them. Sammy believes that quitting his job made some big heroic move to win these girls over but really they do not care. Sammy says “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) right after he tells his boss he is quitting. The girls do not even notice, and that is when Sammy realizes what he had hoped for did not happen and that he quit his good job for no reason. Sammy goes from, being happy to believing briefly he has a chance with these girls to realizing they do not even care to give him a