University of Puerto Rico at Ro Piedras

Ro Piedras, Puerto Rico

College of General Studies
English Department













Essay 2: In A&P, one of the major themes is choices an consequences. Analyze
this theme in the story and how this theme influences the characterization of Sammy and
Lengel. In your analysis, include specific passages from the story to support your
statements.



INGL 3211-0U1

Prof. Smith
















Carla Coste Snchez
801-09-1482
November 17
th
2010
A&P by John Updike is a short story focusing on the theme of impulsive choices
of a young man named Sammy and their consequences. Almost all the choices made in the
story can be viewed as being negative or positive; consequently the consequences are going
to have a positive or negative impact on his life. This theme enforces the story by making
the reader see the realities that capture the everyday choices of the characters in the story.
The decisions that Sammy makes brings on consequences that he does not realize until it is
too late. These are the consequences he has to live with and it is here that he realizes the
harsh reality of life.
The story is narrated on a first person point of view, this person being Sammy. This
is important because by getting to know Sammys personality readers will be able to
understand the choices that Sammy makes and therefore the consequences and the impact
they have on Sammys life. For instance, it is clear that Sammy is not happy at his job at
the A&P. This statement is based on his distaste for the customers as he says: Looking
back in the big windows, over the bags of peat moss and aluminum lawn furniture stacked
on the pavement, I could see Lengel in my place in the slot, checking the sheep through
(Updike 19). By calling to the customers sheep, and a few house-slaves in pin curlers
even looked around the reader can tell that Sammys attitude toward the shoppers of the
A&P is negative (Updike 10); he truly dislikes the people that come into the store.
Likewise, it becomes clear that Sammy does not want to be stuck at this job for the rest of
his life. The reader can compare Sammy with another character called Stokesie: Stokesies
married, with two babies chalked up on his fuselage already, but as far as I can tell thats
the only difference. Hes twenty-two, and I was nineteen this April (16). Sammy is a lot
like Stokesie but, because he has a wife and a child, has more responsibilities than him and
will probably end up working at the A&P for a really long time. Sammy does not want to
end up with the same fate as Stokesie. This could be the reason Sammy really quit his job;
he did not want to spend the rest of his life working at the A &P like Stokesie and he took
advantage of the situation before him to leave with an excuse. Lengels humiliation of the
girls gave Sammy an opportunity to quit his job by standing up for what he believed was
right.
The first choice that can be analyzed is made by Sammy. He had a choice to ignore
the girls who walked into the store in nothing but bathing suits and carry on with his
work at the store (15). Instead Sammy let his emotions and this choice, however small and
impulsive, really has an impact on how the story will develop. The reader can see the
beginning of his infatuation with one of the girls when he says, and then the third one, that
wasnt quite so tall. She was the queen. (15) The acknowledgement that Sammy is giving
one of the girls is unquestionable; he is singling her out specifically for her looks. He
continues to speak of this girl whom has struck his eye and names her Queenie. He is
favoring this girl and the fact that Lengel is humiliating her does not sit right with him.
and I know that's true, too, but remembering how he made that pretty girl blush makes
me so scrunchy inside (17). He decides to take a stand by quitting in hopes to become the
girls unsuspected hero (18). Now the reader can notice that Sammy is making a choice
that is too grand for such a small action The validity of his claim is not being belittled
because Lengel should not have humiliated the girls the way that he did. Nevertheless there
are other ways to voice your opinion, more diplomatic ways and other scenarios too.
Sammy could have talked to Lengel alone and let his concern be heard in another moment.
There are different ways to prove a point, quitting did nothing but harm Sammy. He did not
impress the girls, neither did he make Lengel think about treating customers with more
respect. Sammy lost his job and made his near future look grim for nothing at all.
Lengels choice of words can be attributed to Sammys quitting his job. If Lengel
chose not to say, Girls, this isn't the beach. (17), and perhaps letting the situation progress
with whatever the girls had to wear, the situation would not have gotten out of hand. This
way Sammy would not have made a fool of himself by abruptly quitting his job. Lengel
could have chosen to overlook this simple moment and all the problems in the story would
not have taken place. Nevertheless, Lengel probably says this based on his strong Christian
based morals. Because he teaches Sunday school Lengel looks like an uptight Christian
who is strict, old-fashion and is seen as someone who cannot give a break to the girls that
came into the store for just a jar of Herring snacks (17). What the girls are wearing in the
store is considered immorally wrong by Lengelss standard. This is probably based on his
religion and his conservative outlook on life. This is what makes Lengel act, he just cannot
let this pass because in his eyes the choice of clothing is totally inappropriate and
unacceptable and has to be dealt with, in this case, by scolding the girls. He goes on to
enforce his statement when he says Thats alright, but this isnt the beach (18). Lengel
does not really have to repeat himself but probably does because he is not please, he wants
to prove a point and ensure that something like this would not happen again. The
consequence of this results in Sammy quitting his job and an embarrassment for the girls.
Moreover, the girls too made important choices in the story. Probably the
consequences of these choices are the ones that have more pull as to how things played out
in the story. The girls choice on clothing is what caused the whole problem. Had they worn
less revealing Lengel would have nothing in particular to say to the girls because they were
decently dressed and Sammy would not have been awe struck as he was and he would not
have had to defend them, therefore keeping his job. This shows how a simple choice of
clothing has impact, in this case, on Sammys life. What the girls chose to wear had
negative consequences on themselves and the ones around them.
At the end of the story Sammy does not get any reward for quitting; the girls dont
even notice. I look around for my girls, but they're gone, of course (19). Instead, he is
forced to face the consequences of his actions, and is not able to change what he has done.
Even though Lengel gives Sammy the chance to keep his job, Sammy refuses to take it
because he believes that once you take this type of action, there is no turning back. But it
seems to me that once you begin a gesture it's fatal not to go through with it (19). Sammy
thinks that quitting is a mistake, but it is too late to do anything about it. The harsh reality
of not getting the girl and being left jobless teaches Sammy that standing up for his
beliefs is not going to be as easy as he thought. His choices have consequences and in this
case the consequences were negative. Sammy makes a choice that he notably regrets but
now has to live with it. Sammy now faces the reality of life and he realizes this as he says
my stomach kind of fell as I felt how hard the world was going to be to me hereafter (19).
In the story Sammy is forced to make a choice about the situation presented before
him. Sammy believes that something unfair is happening and he decides to take action. By
quitting, Sammy is taking a stand for what he believes is right and wrong.. What Updike
tries to convey is that every choice, whether positive or negative, will have a consequence
that will also be either positive or negative. Sammy learns this the hard way. He made the
choice to stand up for the girls and the consequence of this was that he lost his job. This is
the reality of life: choices are made every day and however small they may be, they have
consequences that affect our lives.

Bibliography
Updike, John. "A&P." Literature. An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writting 10th
ed. Comp. X. J. Kennedy, Dana Gioia. United States: Pearson Longman, 2007. Print.