The Growth of Sammy in A&P
In "A&P" Sammy changes from an immature teenager to a person who takes a stand for what he believes is wrong which is reflected in Sammy's words and actions. This paper is composed of three paragraphs. The first paragraph deals with the immature Sammy, the second concentrates on Sammy's beginning his maturing process, and the last focuses on his decision to take a stand no matter what the consequences are.
At the beginning of A&P, Sammy notices that three girls have walked into the store with only there bathing suits on. At first, poor Sammy cannot see the girls because he was at register 3 with his back toward the door. When they finally get into his sight, he immediately size the girls up. "The one that caught my eye first was the one in the placid green two-piece. She was a chunky kid, with a good tan and a sweet broad soft-looking can with those two crescents of white just under it, where the sun never seems to hit, at the top of the backs of her legs." He also gives a description of the other two girls. He says one has "a chubby berry-faces, her lips all bunched together under her nose and the tall one, with black hair that hadn't quite frizzed right, and one of these sunburns right across under the eyes and a chin that was too long--you know, the kind of girl other girls think is very "striking" and "attractive" but never quite makes it, as they very well know, which is why they like her so much." This comments illustrate his immaturity. Sammy refers to one of the girls as queen. He calls her queen because she seems to be the leader. He says "walked straight on slowly, on these long white prima dona legs." This comment reinforce the idea of his immaturity and all the comments make Sammy seem younger than he actually is, which is 19. He says that her "clean bare plane of the top of her chest down from the shoulder bones like a dented sheet of metal tilted in the light." Sammy is obviously very distracted and most likely he is simple staring at the girls, instead of doing his job. Sammy watches the girls go down each aisle. At one point, Stokesie, another male cashier, jokingly said "I fill so faint." Sammy said "Darling, hold on to me tight." When one of the girls goes to Sammy's check-out line to pay for their purchase, she pulls the dollar out from the middle part of her top portion of her bathing suit. Sammy says "The jar went heavy in my hand. Really, I thought that was so cute." It is as if they have never seen a pretty girls or that their normal clientele are opposite looking than the girls.
During the middle of the story, Sammy seems to grow up somewhat due to the way Lengel treats the girls. His words and actions appear to cooperate this statement. Sammy refers to this part of the story as sad. The first thing Lengel says to the girls is "Girls, this isn't the beach." This causes the girl that sammy refers to a Queenie to blush. Sammy says that Lengel gave the girls a "sad Sunday-school-superintendent stare." Queenie says that all they came in for was a jar of Fancy Herring Snack. Lengel says that it does not matter and that it was store policy to dress decently in the store. Lengel continued on chastising the girls even when customers started to gather Sammy did not like Lengel doing this because it embarrassed the girls. Lengel finally asked Sammy had he wrung up the purchase. Sammy said no and he rung it up. Sammy typed in 49 grocery. According to Sammy, the register than begins a little song. It is "Hello (bing), there, you (gung) hap-py pee-pul (splat)!--the splat being the drawer flying out."
During the conclusion of the story, Sammy seems to mature and he stands of for what him believes is wrong. He believes that Lengel was unfairly harsh at the girls. He also did not like the fact that Lengel embarrassed the girls. Sammy thinks the girls are in a hurry to leave, which he thinks is due to Lengel. After giving the girl her change, she quickly leaves, and Sammy tells Lengel "I quit". Sammy then gives Lengel his apron. This takes Lengel by surprise, and he says "you don't want to do this to your Mom and Dad." Sammy says "It's true, I don't. But it seems to me that once begin a gesture it's fatal not to go through with it." This shows that Sammy is taking a stand and that Lengel cannot change his mind about quitting. When Sammy left the store, the girls where long gone. "His face was dark gray and his back stiff, as if he's just had an injection of iron, and my stomach kind of felt how hard the world was going to be to me hereafter." This quote illustrates that Sammy knows that his parents will not like the fact that he quit, but he realizes that he has to take charge with his life, and make his own chooses without being afraid of what his parents would think. He is very happy that he had taken a stand, and he let no one change it.
During the progression of A&P, Sammy's words and action reflect his growth from an immature teenager to a person who takes a stand for what he believes is wrong.
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