MY THOUGHTS ON THE BEHAVIOR PORTRAYED BY SAMMY IN A&P BY JOHN UPDIKE. (THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX)

   In the short story A&P by John Updike, the constant occurrence of prejudice, and negative thoughts towards the individuals around him stir up emotions in the main characters self-conscious. There are several different ways to explore the perceptual judgments made by the main character, the narrator, Sammy. It could be exposed as the teenager’s objectification of the girls who walk in the store, picking apart every woman aside from his prized “Queenie.” It could also be examined that by walking out on his job, after seeing the girls become an example of the generation to come, he is some type of heroic figure. John Updike demonstrates the natural chemical science that goes on in a teenager of Sammy’s age, while also being tested through different scenarios.

   Testosterone is a steroid hormone, and is found in mammals, birds, reptiles and other vertebrates. A huge factor causing teenagers to have an increased sex drive, in addition to becoming considerably more aggressive, is experiencing mood swings and is becoming fully developed is all attributable to testosterone. This little science lesson could make people stop and think, Sammy’s just growing up! It is completely normal, however not necessarily appropriate, for Sammy to be so willing to judge the girls around him and feel possibly threatened by his boss Langel. This is all just a part of becoming a man, growing up and experiencing new feelings that begin to pleasure your sensations.
   Taking a closer look at what Sammy says and how he reacts in certain situations, is a good sign that among other possibilities, Sammy is just becoming a man. He looks at the girls as if they are objects, not people, judging them like if they were a hobby. In the very first paragraph he begins to examine the first girl who caught his eye, who he believes to be somewhat of a “chunky kid, with a good tan and a sweet broad soft-looking can with those two crescents of white just under it, where the sun never seems to hit, at the top of the backs of her legs.” (409) He completely defines this girl from head to toe the second she walks into his sight. He later goes on to explain how he had no remembrance if he rang up the crackers he was holding while helping his current customer. His attention shifts completely from his duties at work, to these three females walking into his store dressed inappropriately for where they are treading.

   The narrator continues to go on exploring these girls deeper, deep enough for him to establish the girl he believes to have the highest status. Later in his ramble, Sammy’s boss Langel comes in to criticize the girls and their appearance in his store. This sets up Updike for one more method to demonstrate a young man’s mental thought process when put in front of confrontation. He is slowly becoming a more aggressive person due to a boost in his test levels. He could have easily minded his own business, left the girls feelings alone and been at peace with Langel’s decision to say what he needed to say to the girls. Instead, Sammy does the “manly” thing to do and confront his boss, and quit his job to be the superior being in this situation. Men naturally seek to be the alpha male in his environment, and this demonstrates perfectly Sammy’s commitment to his obligation.

   Nobody is to say that this concept of Sammy starting to become a man, and new balances of chemicals developing in his body is completely at fault for his prejudice. The possibility that Sammy is just the offspring of a new generation of ill-mannered people to come is very likely. Through literature it is possible to envision how the world worked, and how people acted towards one another. A movie like The Titanic can show to the utmost respect a gentleman would have towards a lady, and the sophistication in the woman being summoned. The way Sammy judged everybody to the way the girls came into the store dressed, kind of shows the transition from Modernism to Postmodernism. The way Updike included Lengel, a product of his time period where woman would never walk into a grocery store dressed the way the three girls were. It is absolutely possible Updike created these characters with their flaws all designed to replicate a shifting movement throughout the western world.

   A&P is a brilliant piece of literature that could hold the imagination hostage trying to wrap your mind around its true devices. The way Sammy portrays his preconceived ideas about the girls as houseslaves and sheep, to his rash decision to quitting his job and walking out after the girls can be a cause of so many possibilities. From the human anatomy approach to exploring the differences in the human behavior over time, it is likely to make satisfying conclusions to Sammy and his self-conscious. Possibly in further generations to come, with our civilization living in a new era and time period, one will explore John Updike’s contents of A&P and develop new realizations connecting Sammy to the real world.