Symbolism in John Updike's "A & P"

John Updike's short story "A & P" recounts how an adolescent supermarket cashier named Sammy has his life changed forever when three girls in bathing suits shop in the store where he works. He is the first person narrator who shapes the tale with his descriptions, attitudes and opinions. He is the protagonist who grows up quickly in a single day and the only round, fully developed character in the tale. As you proceed through …

…the opportunity to choose a life other than the one he's been expected to lead. Although life may be more difficult for Sammy, his options are greater, his fate no longer predetermined, and he now has the freedom and will to decide his own future. Works Cited Kirszner, Laurie G., and Stephen R. Mandell, eds. Literature: Reading, Reacting, Writing. Compact 4th ed. Boston: Heinle & Heinle, 2000. Updike, John. "A & P." Kirszner and Mandell 97-102.