A & P Character Analysis

Three girls dressed in swimsuits in a grocery store may seem like an odd occurrence and nothing more but, to some, it can be deeper. A & P is a short story about Sammy, clerk that works at an “A & P” grocery store. His attention is nabbed by three girls that enter the store dressed in only swimsuits. This simple concept is brought out through descriptive imagery and well described thoughts told by the narrator and main character Sammy. As the story progresses his character goes through a crisis that causes him to make a sacrifice for one of the girls. His manager pushing conformity upon the three girls causes Sammy’s character to evolves from a judgmental and slightly sexist character to a heroic character that sympathized with them and tried to stand up for them. This evolution occurs as the story unfolds.
In the short story, three girls enter the “A & P”, each wearing a swimsuit. As Sammy is spending his time judging the shoppers, calling them “sheep” and “house slaves”, the girls come into his view. This strange incident causes Sammy’s attention to drawn to them and their bodies. Much like a simple judgmental teen, he begins to judge them solely on their looks. He becomes especially drawn to one of the girls he refer
The manager begins to explain to the girls that their attire is not appropriate for the grocery store. Queenie explains that she is simply getting some herring snacks for her mother. As the manager is scolding the girls, Sammy begins to feel sympathy for them. Sammy also puts himself in Queenie’s shoes, showing how his character in becoming more understanding during the crisis. As the girl leaves, Sammy decides he does not want the manager to “win” so he decides to quit for the girls, to show his care. This climax is where he becomes a more heroic character, making sacrifices for the sake of others. Unfortunately, the story concludes with the girls having gone