In John Updike's story, the writer A&P takes you into the memory of a young man involving the choices and consequences that life can hold for anyone who hasn't had time to put tries a rash decision. The narrator is an immature nineteen-year-old cashier who is about to make a giant leap from adolescence to adulthood Sammy tells with opinions not only his life, but also the people of the city Sammy opposes the way in which these people live their lives and is determined to set a different course for his future The author uses characterization, symbolism, and setting to explain Sammy's life problems such as decision making, the outcome of the. 'action and responsibility. The story illustrates that part of growing up is about making choices and being willing to accept the consequences of your choices. The story begins as if it were a mundane work day at A&P. Sammy is a typical teenager sarcastic comparisons to grocery store customers. He calls one of his clients a "witch" and says the other clients are "house slaves" and "sheep." Sammy obviously doesn't like the job, but he finds ways to get through the day. However, from the moment the three girls enter the A&P until they leave the store, you can see dramatic changes in Sammy. Sammy lusts after young girls and nicknames the most attractive to him as "Queenie". Girls in bathing suits fascinate him, and although he looks at them excessively, he comments negatively on others who do the same. As the girls walk past the oldest employee, McMahon, Sammy notices how he was looking at the girls and pats his mouth. Sammy seems disgusted by her action and begins to sympathize with the girls. "Poor boys, I began to feel sorry for them, they couldn't do anything about it" (Upd...... middle of paper ......n behavior, and he in turn would earn the love or acceptance of one of the girls. When the girls actually left, the irony is that he resigned for their approval, and they had already moved on and had not witnessed the resignation. Updike uses the experiences of the teenagers to tell how choices can affect our lives and the consequences that follow. When Sammy decides to leave his job, he chooses to be an individual and venture into the unknown. He wants to get married and have children at a young age like Stokesie being so rigid as the manager, Mr.Lengel story ends with the line "I felt how hard the world would be for me from now on" (Updike 102), which means that Sammy is no longer a teenager. carefree, but a man who now has to accept that his rash choice to quit had a result. Works Cited https://www.123helpme.com/view.asp?id=5853