A Character Analysis: Sammy
Tim Crook
Dr. Russell
English 101 section 1
April 23, 2010
A Character Analysis: Sammy
Sammy is a young teen who works at the grocery store. He is just like any other teen checking out everything going on. One day, he spots three teen girls walking through the door. This begins to show Sammy’s true emotions and character in the story “A&P”. Sammy shows that he is very observant, different, and dissatisfied. Sammy is observant and watches everything that goes on in the store while he cashiers because the job can get a little boring and he can also by easily distracted by something. “His observations, so marvelously acute and precisely and delightfully expressed” (WEB) When these girls walk in, he becomes very observant. He notices the patterns of the bikinis they are wearing. He also notices the way one of them has the strings on the top. Once they start to talk, he figures out who is the leader. He calls her queenie, and he is very fond of her. He notices by the way she is walking and talking that no doubt she is the leader and the other two are her followers. Sammy is different but acts like a normal cashier in this story. He is not important and does not stand out compared to his coworkers. Sammy wants the girls to notice him, so he feels the need to try to be different. “Sammy notices the gulf between them; the only way he can get them to notice him to differentiate himself from what he sees, through their eyes as the provincialism of the small town that insists on “decent dress” in its supermarket.” (126) He wants to stand out from the rest of the people in the store, such as, customers and coworkers. He calls this coworker a drone and customers sheep, which is very different and strange. Not many normal teens do that, and nothing makes Sammy any more special than the rest of the people in the store. Sammy is dissatisfied and
Dr. Russell
English 101 section 1
April 23, 2010
A Character Analysis: Sammy
Sammy is a young teen who works at the grocery store. He is just like any other teen checking out everything going on. One day, he spots three teen girls walking through the door. This begins to show Sammy’s true emotions and character in the story “A&P”. Sammy shows that he is very observant, different, and dissatisfied. Sammy is observant and watches everything that goes on in the store while he cashiers because the job can get a little boring and he can also by easily distracted by something. “His observations, so marvelously acute and precisely and delightfully expressed” (WEB) When these girls walk in, he becomes very observant. He notices the patterns of the bikinis they are wearing. He also notices the way one of them has the strings on the top. Once they start to talk, he figures out who is the leader. He calls her queenie, and he is very fond of her. He notices by the way she is walking and talking that no doubt she is the leader and the other two are her followers. Sammy is different but acts like a normal cashier in this story. He is not important and does not stand out compared to his coworkers. Sammy wants the girls to notice him, so he feels the need to try to be different. “Sammy notices the gulf between them; the only way he can get them to notice him to differentiate himself from what he sees, through their eyes as the provincialism of the small town that insists on “decent dress” in its supermarket.” (126) He wants to stand out from the rest of the people in the store, such as, customers and coworkers. He calls this coworker a drone and customers sheep, which is very different and strange. Not many normal teens do that, and nothing makes Sammy any more special than the rest of the people in the store. Sammy is dissatisfied and