Analysis of the Character “Sammy” free essay sample

Sammy realizes that life isn’t always fair and that sometimes it involves the consequences that life can deal to anyone who has not had time to test a rash decision. Updike’s story illustrates that a part of growing up is a willingness to accept consequences of one’s choices, and that lifes hardest lessons are sometimes learned a little too late. This story represents a coming-of-age for Sammy, as seen through his evaluations of the costumers as the story develops. Though it takes place over the period of a few minutes, it represents a much larger process of Sammy’s growth. From the time the girls enter the grocery store, to the moment they leave, you can see changes in Sammy. At first, he only notices the physical appearance of the girls:   how they look and what they are wearing, seem to be his only thoughts. As the story progresses, he notices the interactions between the girls, and he even determines the hierarchy among them: â€Å"She was the queen. We will write a custom essay sample on Analysis of the Character â€Å"Sammy† or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page She kind of led them, the other two peeking and making their shoulders round. She didn’t look around, not this queen, she just walked straight on slowly, on these long white prima-donna legs† (Updike 132). He observes their actions and how they affect the other customers of the grocery store. Rather, how the other people view the girls actions. His thought process is maturing and he starts to see things as an adult might see them, in some ways preparing him for the results of the decision that he will soon make. From the beginning of the story, it is clear that Sammy in no way likes his job, nor is he fond of the customers and people he is surrounded by each day. To Sammy, they are nothing more than â€Å"sheep† going through the motions f life. â€Å"I bet you could set off dynamite in an Aamp;P and the people would by and large keep reaching and checking oatmeal off their lists and muttering. Let me see, there was a third thing, began with A, asparagus, no, ah, yes, applesauce! ’ or whatever it was they do mutter† (Updike 133). He views them negatively; to him they are boring and useless, living mundane and unimportant lives and its obvious through Sammys portray al of them that he doesnt want to ever become one of them, nor does he want to be around them any longer. Besides Sammy, it seems that the other workers at Aamp;P feel the same way the about the job being boring as he does, simply by the way they react to the arrival of the three unique teenage girls. Granted the only people working in the store are men, they still find the arrival of the girls to be extremely exciting and an event worth waiting for. â€Å"The store’s pretty empty, it being Thursday afternoon, so there was nothing much to do except lean on the register and wait for the girls show up again† (Updike 133). They take pleasure in the visit from the girls, and when they do arrive, Sammy makes it clear that he is not the only one captivated by them; McMahon at the meat counter is seen â€Å"sizing up their joints† (Updike 134) and Stokesie expresses a constant fixation with the girls as well, which he shares with Sammy the first time they come into the store. It also becomes clear that Sammy wants to know more about them through his fixation with them, which may add to the reason he wanted to quit; he hoped to captivate their attention and gain their praise. However, Sammy quitting is more for himself that the girls in the long run, after all if it was really for the girls he wouldve ceased quitting the moment the girls rushed out. However he proceeds even with the negative aspects attached. â€Å" ‘Sammy, you don’t want to do this to your Mam and Dad,’ he tells me. It’s true, I don’t. But it seems to me that once you begin a gesture it’s fatal not to go through with it† (Updike 195). Even though he knows this will be difficult for his family he continues to quit. On one hand, he is being mature by not backing down and changing his mind once he realizes the girls are gone, because he is right in that, when you make decisions you must follow through with them. On the other hand however his decision to quit was thoughtless, drastic, and an immature one to begin with. Sammy starts to feel, for the first time, that there is something out there that is better. He is ready to go find it. When he decides to quit his job, hastily as it may be, he is making the choice to be an individual, to venture into the unknown. It is something that he knows he has to do, so he does have some hesitation in â€Å"removing the apron† (Updike 135). Once it has been removed, he knows that he cannot put it back on. This symbolizes his acceptance of having to move on in life. When the manager makes reference to Sammys decision and in its effect on his parents, it is a representation of Sammys coming-of-age. This may be a lesson for Sammy in which he learns from and gains some maturity; he learns that there are consequences and positives to every situation and it is his responsibility to deal with them as they arise.