John Updike A & P Essay

Humans make decisions every day, ranging from the little insignificant things to huge, life-changing things. Each person has unique thought processes and values that shape their behavior. In John Updike's short story A&P, the reader takes a deep dive into the mind of Sammy. He is a teenager who works at the local grocery store north of Boston. One day, he was working the register when a group of three girls walked into the store in bathing suits. The reader gains insight into how Sammy thinks as he explains his thoughts while the girls are in the store. As Sammy is checking the girl out at the register, his manager comes out and reprimands the girls for not having proper clothing on. Sammy then makes a rash decision in honor of the girls. The

putting down her heels and then letting the weight move along her toes.” (Updike 18). His deep curiosity is shown when every detail about the girl is accounted for, even down to how her feet touched the ground. Sammy took his observations and made assumptions about the girls purely based on how their feet looked when they walked. He also noticed how the other shoppers reacted to the girls in the store. He states that normally, nothing would get between bystanders and their shoppers, but these girls profoundly affect everyone in the store. Sammy’s examinations shape his understanding of the world and influence the decisions he makes later in the story. In tandem with being highly observant, Sammy also has impulsive tendencies. After seeing the way Lengel scolded the girls, Sammy makes a split-second decision to quit his job to be “their unsuspected hero” (Updike 21). Sammy tries to make himself look like a hero by quitting. However, his lack of thought and later regret for what that decision brings for the future shows that he is

The girls take no notice of Sammy’s gesture, and he does not get credit for being their hero. Within minutes, Sammy realizes the disappointment he will likely cause his parents and the precedent of “how hard the world was going to be for me hereafter.” By continuing to make impulsive decisions, he will probably face many more regrets in the future. There are many different factors that played a role in Sammy’s decision to quit his job. His perception of the world from what he observes and his impulsive nature both have an impact, but the most significant influence comes from his empathy within. After Sammy abruptly quits, Lengel tries to convince him that he does not actually want to quit. He says, “‘You’ll feel this for the rest of your life,’ and I know that’s true too, but remembering how he made that pretty girl blush makes me so scrunchy inside.” Sammy’s empathy for others can be seen through his internal dialogue, but it can also be seen in his actions. He hurries to get the girls out of the uncomfortable situation when he sees how the reprimand affects them. His empathy goes beyond observation, it influences him to