Men of Principle; "A & P, " "Young Goodman Brown, " and "The Lottery"

Specific values and morals of men determine their principles when it comes to particular situations. For example, one might alter their opinion on a job, tradition, or religious belief based on his/her own ethics. In the short stories “A & P,” “The Lottery,” and “Young Goodman Brown,” Sammy, Old Man Warner, and Goodman Brown did just so. Each character similarly handled the situation; however, had entirely different reasoning and outcomes. Though each character was put into three completely different situations, each one had a very similar way of dealing with his own problem. They all stuck to their own opinions regardless of how it affected each of them as an individual. In “A & P,” Sammy did not let Lengel talk him out of quitting his job as cashier even though it cost him his employment (Updike, par. 30). He clung to his beliefs and left just as Young Goodman did when he found his fellow town’s people assembled in the forest to worship Satan (Hawthorne, par. 46). He could have conformed to the group and joined the worship, but instead he did what he felt was right despite the fact that with leaving the forest he would lose everyone he cared for. Likewise, Old Man Warner could very well have adapted to the rest of the small towns and got rid of “the lottery,” but he believed that the lottery fulfilled a purpose and was insistent on having it though, he could quite possibly be the next villager to lose his/her life (Jackson, par. 30). In contrast to the similar ways they handled their situations, each character has different purpose for the decision they settled upon. Sammy did not quit his job because he felt like Lengel was being unfair to the bikini girls, but he hoped that the girls would appreciate his valiant efforts and he would receive three lovely ladies as a reward for his deed (Updike, par. 31). Goodman Brown made his decision because he felt betrayed by his friends and believed that they were in the wrong. He kept his faith and deserted