A & P By John Updike Analysis

In the story “A & P” by John Updike, an 18 year old cashier named Sammy works at an A & P store. On a routine day, he is surprised when three girls in bikinis enter the store. He doesn’t show any immediate affection towards them, but over the course of their trip to the establishment he develops an attraction towards one of them. She is the leader of two other girls, and he gives her the name Queenie. In the end he makes an impulsive move that does not match his personality. He quits his job in an attempt to defend Queenie after his manager embarrases her, but it was to no avail. She doesn’t notice his heroic deed and he is left without a job. Sammy becomes more attached to the girl as the story progresses, eventually leading to him making the unwise decision of quitting his job.

When the girls
He begins pointing out how she is such a queen as she strolls around searching for items. He observes her and describes her more tenderly each time he points out her looks. After a few minutes of him praising her aesthetics, she comes to the checkout stand and he hears her voice for the first time. He begins fantasizing about her and this confirms his affection for her. He knows everything about her physically, but he has no knowledge of her on a deeper level. All of his feelings are superficial. He is about to make a big decision to quit his job over empty feelings, which is illogical and rash.

By the end of the girls’ visit to the store, Sammy had fallen in love with Queenie. This is demonstrated when he tries to be a hero when his manager embarrases the lovely ladies by pointing out their attire. Sammy says, “I say “I quit” to Lengel quick enough for them to hear, hoping they’ll stop and watch me, their unsuspecting hero.” He tries to impress Queenie by quitting his job, but she does not even notice him. He was blinded by love and he made an irrational