When the conflict between Lengel and Queenie occurs, we see a change taking place in Sammy's attitude. Lengel's harsh and inconsiderate comments to the girls about the store not being a beach and it having upright policies to be followed, makes Queenie blush and justify her existence in the store in her quote, "My mother asked me to pick up a jar of herring snacks."
Sammy, although being the keen observer of the store, hears her voice closely for the first time which makes him realize that she is not just a confident and physically attractive girl, but a person full of emotions who gets offended by degrading remarks. There is a change in his perception towards Queenie from a mere captive physical object to a person when Sammy says, "Her voice kind of startled me, the way voices do when you see the people first, coming out so flat and dumb yet kind of tony…" He begins to compare Queenie's family and his, and idealizes hers as a wealthy and blissful one, where all the members gather and drink, having a great time together while he says, "Her father and the other men were standing around in ice-cream coats and bow ties and the women were in sandals…" However, while he carries on with his cheery imagination about Queenie, Lengel arrogantly refuses to drop the stressful conversation, focusing on the store not being a beach and giving them his "sad Sunday-school-superintendent stare." He continues to embarrass them stating that the policy of the store is to allow only decently dressed customers. Sammy, this time wants to protect Queenie, not just as an attracted teenager, but as a thoughtful adult. However, Sammy correlates his "sheep" customers, their King Lengel, and their lives as acquiescent and limited to a tedious routine, which has turned them into stolid and slaves of prosaic routines, and decides not to be a part of it. Nonetheless, the society of submissive organs would take no time to eschew the nonconformist of their herd.
By the end of the story, Sammy has a different perspective of life. He understands that the dissenter of established society and its rules has to go through a harsh time. Although his intention behind quitting his job was to be noticed by the girls and be recognized as their "unsuspected hero", he sticks to his decision even though the girls do not become aware of his heroism and leave the store. He risks his established job and relation with Lengel, despite being aware of his parents' reaction and the hardships he would have to face outside the exit door of A&P. However, he does not want to be one of the members of the herd of sheep, and wants to stand for his beliefs and freedom. We know this because, though Sammy could have easily twisted the subject as the girls left the store, understanding Lengel's consideration about his job, as he says, "Sammy, you don't want to do this to your mom and dad," he glues to his rebellious decision and states, "I said I quit."
He folds his A&P's identity- his apron named Sammy and drops it on the counter to walk out of the mere congregation of dummies. He agrees to Lengel's warning that he would regret for the rest of his life and would have a hard time and compares the condition of insurgents with the children being shouted at by their mothers in the parking lot for the candy they demanded for. However, as he gives a glance to his former counter, he sees Lengel working at his place with an inflexible back and checking out the customer, giving inkling that life in A&P would go on without him. We know this when he says, "His face was dark gray and his back stiff, as if he'd just had an injection of iron…" Nonetheless, we see that he moves out with a realization of the hardships he would have to face as the punishment of his standing against the conventional conviction of the society in his quote, "my stomach kind of fell as I felt how hard the world was going to be to me hereafter." Hence, Sammy changes from a typical immature teenager to a person who decides his path against the dull convictions of the society and follows his own beliefs for his life. He sets an example of how we can have the satisfaction of standing for our beliefs rather than wasting our lives following the determined pattern of the society, while the adversities are inevitable on the chosen path.
The plot of A&P convinces us to drown into our own reminiscences to recognize our personal epiphanies that shaped us into a developed and civilized individual. Sammy, as an immature teenager is depicted as a change seeking personality who takes no time to fight for his credence and go against others’ erroneous act, which I completely comprehend and relate to myself.
Like Sammy, I went through a similar incident at 17 that injected maturity into me and changed my whole perception towards life. While working for an educational institution as a counselor back in Nepal, I went through similar humiliation and discrimination done against the new employees by the existing workers. However, despite of tolerance being a part of my job, I could not take that disgrace for long and renounced my job within a month of my recruitment. My relatives condemned me for being impromptu, impatient, taking an irrational decision, and even decided not to support me in my further decisions. However, only my mother understood the reason behind my decision of not letting myself be submissive towards unethical behaviors and the conventional pattern. Although I knew that I’d barely get a handsome salary like that, I chose my satisfaction and belief not to regret later for not doing what I did then. However, when I recall that incident today I feel liberated and contented for what I did without any regrets, just as Sammy would feel after a certain time despite of the adversities and circumstances on the path of his convictions.
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