Supermarket Odyssey Societal Norm

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Jake Scott April 9, 2024 Mrs. Ruiz English 102 Sammy’s Supermarket Odyssey Societal norms are quite hard to understand, as they never necessarily stay “normal”. What is and is not important to society changes through time due to the evolution of new trends, desires, and behaviors amongst people. This constant change can also force individuals into an evolutionary state, where they have to adapt to the behavioral norms that are changing amongst their peers, which can be a difficult process for some. In the short story “A&P” by John Updike (1961), the main character, Sammy, is pushed through this process while working the cash register at his local supermarket. The story starts off where Sammy notices three girls walking into the supermarket while he is …show more content…
This is because he is completely unaware of the complexity of these girls and what goes on inside their head, as he only sees them for their physical image, and their abnormal mannerisms compared to society. The next stage of Sammy’s journey is the blinding light of wishful thinking. At this stage, Sammy had just watched Lengel publicly humiliate the three girls for their attire. He then quits his job in an act of delusional heroism. Other viewpoints may suggest that Sammy genuinely feels sympathy towards the girls, but due to his mockery towards them early on, this proves that Sammy does not care much about the mental state of the girls. He only performs this “great act” in an attempt to win over the hearts of the girls. “I say “I quit” to Lengel quickly enough for them to hear, hoping they’ll stop and watch me, their unsuspected hero,” says Sammy (Updike 21). In this impulsive decision to quit his job, Sammy is hoping that he will receive praise from the girls for sticking up for what they believe is right. In this act, the reality of the situation is clouded by his hopes of getting attention from the
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