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Peter E. Rowe

John Updike's A&P. - 67 views

A &P Sammy and Queenie John Updike

started by Peter E. Rowe on 17 Sep 13
  • Peter E. Rowe
    #1 Peter E. Rowe on 17 Sep 13
     
    What do you make of Sammy's actions at the end of A&P? What are his motives for quitting his job? How do you interpret the final paragraph?
  • Austin Makris
    #2 Austin Makris on 17 Sep 13
     
    I think Sammy's actions at the end of A&P were a bit rash and not thought out, but justified in thought, if he disagreed with his manager Lengel's treatment of the girls, but probably not the best action taken.

    I feel his motives for quitting his job are not respecting his manager Lengel for his treatment of women/just him as a person perhaps, after his display previously.

    I interpret the final paragraph as Sammy looking back at the day and wondering if the trouble he put himself through was worth the reward he received (or lack-thereof) and then looking to the future wondering how hard it will be not having a job for steady income,

    - Austin Makris 9/16/2013
  • Aidan Sperry
    #3 Aidan Sperry on 17 Sep 13
     
    First comment SWAG. I think Sammy quits his job cause he's fed up with people. He is tired of dealing with the long string of "sheep" that come through the store and his interaction with the girls and Lengen pushes him to the brink and he gives into his desires. He's rebellious, as are all teenagers, and Lengel's authoritative and demeaning personality obviously doesn't sit to well with him. I think the last sentence, "my stomach kind of fell as I felt how hard the world was going to be to me hereafter" is a thought on his internal attitude rather than the outside world. I think in the end Sammy basically says 'fuck it', but he's standing up for his ideals! And he's very noble and brave! And maybe to an extent this is true but, he's young and impulsive and and the last sentence is a reflection on his inability to persevere in his job or society. Good for him.
  • xiaogang wu
    #4 xiaogang wu on 17 Sep 13
     
    I think Sammy's action at the end of A&P were decent, because teenagers should have more courage to try new things. People are going think that was stupid or reckless, but who want to work 50 years more in a boring shop since they are teenagers. that is the choice most people would do.
    Motive
    I think he wants to quit his job very earlier, because it is boring that work in A&P shop. Sammy needs to find a opportunity to quit his job. The queen in three girls lighted Sammy's passion that has covered in his heart for too long.We can see the shop is traditional since people are not allow to wear bikini in the store. So Author was implying that world has changed so fast. Nobody can reject the new things form outside world as a teenagers.

    I can see that Sammy knows and ready for the consequence after quit his job. He knows how cruel the world are, but he still choose to face it to deal it. I think that took a lot of courage, and i like his choice. Nobody knows what's going happen to him after he gave up his job, but i definitely know that his life was meaningless if he choose to stay in A&P.
  • Dow Drukker
    #5 Dow Drukker on 17 Sep 13
     
    He obviously wasn't happy with his work situation or he wouldn't have quit. So i respect him for having the guts to stand up to his manager who he doesn't like. His motives for quitting was to impress the three girls who came through his line, accept by the time he said "i quit" they had already left the store and didn't hear him. I think he regretted the decision after he went outside and the girls had left, because he makes it obvious that he was upset at the fact that the girls didn't even acknowledge him, and now he doesn't have a job.
  • Frederik Lasson
    #6 Frederik Lasson on 17 Sep 13
     
    He is trying to impress the girls.
    It is a very weak and stupid try to impress the girls and it turns up after he has said it that the girls is gone.
  • Hang Zhao
    #7 Hang Zhao on 17 Sep 13
     
    From the beginning to the end, the focus of this story is those 3 girls. They are looking special and attracted Sammy's attention. When Sammy saw Lengel was arguing with those girls, he wants to be the hero, to get girls' attention. And he also thinks Lengel is not respecting these girls, other people can shop in here, why can't these girls?
    So he quit his jobs for two reason, one is he wants to get girls attention, second is he thinks Lengel is unjust, he doesn't respect them.
    In the last paragraph, after Sammy quit his job, he goes out of the store, and looks back. So he doesn't really want to quit his job, he was impetuous. And he knows those girls would not pay any attention to him, and they didn't even say thank you to him. He regretted quitting his job.
  • Dean Tian
    #8 Dean Tian on 17 Sep 13
     
    Sammy did what he did in the end, he is a man of impulse. He just want to that 3 girls pay attention to him. So he yelling to his manager Lengel, he thinks it's very rude.So he quit his job, I think it's just show those 3 girls.
    In the last paragraph, when he quit his job, he got out of the market, and looked for those 3 girls, he want to let them know he quit his job for them. But he did not find them, in the end, he regretted his action, he do not quit his job!
  • Bryan Wang
    #9 Bryan Wang on 17 Sep 13
     
    In the front passage, we could see the people who shopping in the A&P was old lady and the housewife. There were none people could attract or bring the enthusiasm for the Sammy. In another aspect, A&P had nothing could let Sammy stand there anymore. So the three girl is the opportunity that make him have the courage leave with not any remorse.
    I think the motive in the last paragraph, the Sammy have no alterative leave. If he keep doing the job that he do care, it cannot bring the worth for anyone. So it may be a good ending for him that could let he try more new job. Even if he could meet one of the girl in the A&P.
  • Bixi Zeng
    #10 Bixi Zeng on 17 Sep 13
     
    For the make of Sammy' action, i hold that is normal teenage will have impulse of act when them were mud or angry. Probably they will do same action just like Sammy. Sammy quit his job that is really stupid and unthinking. His motive, I think he just be tired of his job and want to stir up these girls notice. Also, he though that is unfair to these girls why they can not shopping in the A&P. So that he decided to quit his job. Whatever, I interpret after he leave the A&P, he regret about that. Because he can not have a stable job. And he quid this job for three strange girls. Maybe he is proud of himself about that.
  • Cris Boeckel
    #11 Cris Boeckel on 17 Sep 13
     
    In the end of A&P I think Sammy quits his job because he feels he needs to do something more with his life. He does not want to end up like his friend Stokesie and the girls are basically like a wake up call for him. Stokesie is twenty two with two kids and a wife. Sammy is nineteen and is not willing to be like that. Stokesie is a cashier at a store and Sammy does not want the same for himself. I think the girls were just a small part of why he quit his job and maybe he even used them as an excuse to.
    The final paragraph is Sammy walking out into the hot Summer. He looks into the store window from where he is standing in the parking lot and he sees lengel has taken his place so easily. It was like he was never even there. I think this bothered him because he was replaced so simply. Sammy wants more for himself and his life than to sit around and be a cashier all day long.
  • Rich Ramirez
    #12 Rich Ramirez on 17 Sep 13
     
    I don't think he has regret what so ever. He is a young impulsive teenager who clearly has tricked himself into thinking that he is doing whats best. Though it is very apparent that he quit his job and created this whole fiasco by means of getting the girls attention. At the end he has the opportunity to take back what he said and he didn't for some reason. I don't know if it was to go after the girls, to enjoy his summer or just to be impulsive. So I think he was just being an impulsive teenager.
  • Jeans Jiaraksa
    #13 Jeans Jiaraksa on 17 Sep 13
     
    Sammy quit his job because he wanted to get the girls' attention. He thought that since his life is goin nowhere anyways he might as well just take the slim chance he had. When he walked out the store and looked around for the girls and they weren't there he said "of course the girls weren't there" he said it like he knew that they weren't going to be there. I think that he did not regret his decisions at all, and thought that this is a new start.
  • Aaron Leffert
    #14 Aaron Leffert on 17 Sep 13
     
    I think that sammy did what he did for attention and wanted to have the girls feel sympathetic for his "loss." He wanted them to feel bad and talk to him so he could try to make his move. now did he regret it? not at all. he took a chance and it did not work, but thats what teenage life is. when it comes to girls, guys try really hard but never give up. so i think he was ok with the inpulsive decision because he tryed. thats all that matters.
  • Yi Lin
    #15 Yi Lin on 18 Sep 13
     
    It was reckless as he quit the job for capture the girls' attention. Although he made such a decision, he still keeps his head up with no regret. He is dedicating on looking for what is good to him or maybe at lease bring him a greater salary, hopefully. Also I think his action was pointless due to he did not even get a little bit of attention from the girls as dumb as he probably knew that is whats going to happened. Anyway, the last paragraph shows us a bit of his regret, but at the same time inform the audience the theme of the story, "do before you think, if you already knew you will be regret of that, then don't do it"
  • zeyuan tang
    #16 zeyuan tang on 18 Sep 13
     
    1:In my opinion, I think he has a little bit stupid,because he didn't got any achievement and he quit his job.

    2: He said that he quit quick and enough for girls heard it, because he want to attract girls's attention and to be a hero.

    3: I think the final paragraph has expressed his thought. He has look around try to found girls, but he didn't found them. Therefore, he feel a little bit sad, but also expressed he did wrong and stupid, because didn't change anything that he want.
  • zach harrison
    #17 zach harrison on 18 Sep 13
     
    Sammy quit his job, based on his principles, it's not even about the girls, but about how he perceives langal. He quit because he thought of langal as an stuck up old man, who had his morals in the wrong place. When he walked out the door he knew the girls had been long gone. He sits on the curb and thinks about how hard life will be hereafter, but once he looks back at lengal, "he face was dark and ad his back stiff, as if he just had an injection of iron" sammy knows he left an impression on langal, and at the moment thats all he cared about.
  • Gigi Chen
    #18 Gigi Chen on 19 Sep 13
     
    The sammy is a stupid kid but he is brave. Because he just a 19 years old kid and he don't know what the outside world look like. He still quit the job and he never know what is going on in the future. He is stupid try to be a hero at front of the girls, can make them feel he is a man, he quit the job for them. The manager didn't respect the girl is not a dig deal. He make the decision quit is without any thinking just want to be hero, no one will like a man have no brain. the final paragraph in my mind is he have no experience, so there have no company or market want him in the small town. He went to a another city want to find a job. but the world is too big. everyone look like all have a perfect space for work. sammy feel along. The world is no fair if you not work hard. The stranger people will bit you. so Sammy realized he need star from the bottom. A new world is waiting a new sammy come up and doing the thing he should be doing.
  • tenzin crane
    #19 tenzin crane on 19 Sep 13
     
    This is so much deeper then most cant believe it out to be, because such a simple action can take such deep thought. Well the symbolism is key, the girls represent happiness and just something hes lacked his whole life, up till now he hasnt had the realization, but in that moment he has a major appifany that wow im a loser and i need to get my life straight, his job represents his life, he quits being a loser and chases after happiness.
  • Daniel Shaw-Vicente
    #20 Daniel Shaw-Vicente on 19 Sep 13
     
    In my personal opinion I believe Sammy's actions at the end of A&P are not only foolish but an expression of desperation that lies deep within all of us. Sammy's motives for quitting his low paying job is to capture the attention of three young wealthy ladies that where his former customers. I personally interpret the final paragraph as a message to the reader that being to never quit on anything Especially if it plays a key role in your life.
  • Jim Talbott
    #21 Jim Talbott on 19 Sep 13
     
    I believe he did this to impress the girls and be a hero to them silently. His actions probably just built up of not wanting to end up like the elders from the store, but it was mostly impulse for quitting on the spot after the girls were disrespected by the manager in front of sammy.
  • Ryan Moran
    #22 Ryan Moran on 19 Sep 13
     
    I think that Sammie's actions at the end of A&P were very impulsive. I think this because he quit his job over some attractive girls he didn't even know. He acted completely out of lust and wasn't using his brain when he made that decision. He wanted to look like a big hero to the girls but they had left before he got the chance to see them. Sammy also said that he couldn't back down since he already said he quit his job he had to follow through with it. In a way I respect this a little bit.
  • Avery Booth
    #23 Avery Booth on 20 Sep 13
     
    Sammy wanted to be the unexpected hero at the end of the day. he wanted to do something that the girls wouldnt expect him to dio; and that was quitting his job. Although the girls didnt see him quit his job, he still followed through with it so that he wouldnt look dumb. he did this because he didnt want to end up like lennie.
  • Pierce Tricarico
    #24 Pierce Tricarico on 23 Sep 13
     
    when sammy quit his job i think he wanted to show the girls he was doing it for them, specifically 'the queen' of the group. he wanted to impress her and show her that he knew Lengel was embarrassing her. i think he also wanted to gain her respect, he was crushing on her and wanted her to see him as the 'unknown hero'. but when he walks out of the store he realizes that the girls were gone 'of course'. but i dont think that sammy regret what he did, quitting. i think he aslo couldnt stop once he started confronting his boss and he wanted to finish what he started.
  • james lee
    #25 james lee on 15 Oct 13
     
    When sammy quit his job his intentions were to impress the two girls who had walked in to the store. The next chapter would probably be him meeting up with those two girls and hanging out with them and probably trying to get with one of them.
  • sam millard
    #26 sam millard on 15 Oct 13
     
    Sure Sammy quit his job because he thought his boss was a jerk and he was trying to impress some girls, but I believe the real reason was for him to be a metaphor paraded by the author to represent sexual frustration and anger developed because of social classes. Long before Sammy quit his job the author immersed the reader in his frustrations to build up to a climax. Sammy quitting his job was written much more as a social commentary than an interesting end for a short story.
  • Deker Adelman
    #27 Deker Adelman on 31 Oct 13
     
    sammy quit his job because he was scared of what he was to become. He looks at Lengel and realizes that stoaksie is slowly turning into lengel and he is scared. he also did it to impress the girls but quickly realizes that there was no point because they were not waiting for him and none of them cared.
  • Maryssa Haggett
    #28 Maryssa Haggett on 04 Nov 13
     
    sammy quit his job because all he cared about was impressing the two girls in the store. he didn't care about anything else. he thought that his life wan't going anywheres so he just gave up. Another reason he quit was because of his boss, his boss had been mean to him since he started working there. he had nothing to lose.
  • Daniel Shaw-Vicente
    #29 Daniel Shaw-Vicente on 05 Nov 13
     
    In my personal opinion I believe that Sammy made a horrible decision on quitting his job at A&P and it will change his life drastically. Sammy quit his job due to impulsiveness and a desperate desire to capture a group of girl's attention. I think that Sammy is not very smart or able to capture and control his emotions and desires because he made a hasty decision without thinking it through. Immature people do this while mature people think their actions triggered by their desires thoroughly through. I interpret the final paragraph as a statement to A&P's readers to not make impulsive decisions because they could leave to a long time period of suffering. I also interpret the final paragraph as a message that we are all not as important as we think we might be.
  • Jake Deutschlander
    #30 Jake Deutschlander on 21 Nov 13
     
    I think Sammy's decision is a very impulsive decision he wasn't thinking of the future as much as he was thinking of the moment at that time. He was being very immature by making this decision and should've thought it through more. Sammy didn't see himself doing anything positive because he couldn't get a couple of girls.
  • sam zanta
    #31 sam zanta on 03 Dec 13
     
    i think he made a very poor decision because he lost his job over 3 girls that he has never seen before. his motives for quiting his job was the 3 girls.

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