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A&P Reading Response

In the short story A&P by John Updike, the main character Sammy encounters an out of the ordinary event while working at a local A&P grocery store. Sammy is working an average shift at the store to support his family, when a group of girls in bikinis walk in. Sammy observes the girls and eventually makes a brave decision to quit his job while standing in something he believes in. Through all of these events, we as the audience, learn quite a lot about Sammy through indirect characterization.

Sammy is a very interesting character that makes a few questionable decisions. He is a dynamic character in the sense that he begins his shift bored and just following rules, and ends quitting and having a sudden change of heart. This is an example of Sammy being very impulsive and strong-willed to stand up for the girls. Sammy is also a round character based on him being very observant and judgmental yet sympathetic. He stereotypes and depicts the girls without knowing them, judging them harshly, but towards the end sticks up for them against his boss and ultimately quits his job in favor of the girls.

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