Customers In The A P Lengel example essay topic

482 words
"A&P" is a coming of age story. The main character, Sammy, ends up quitting his job for three girls. By the time he gets outside the girls are gone, never knowing what he did for them. Although "A&P" is more than just a coming of age story it also contains symbolism. Three of these symbols are Queenie, the customers, and Mr. Lengel. The first symbol in "A&P" I will talk about is Queenie.

Queenie is a symbol of leisure and youthfulness. When Queenie and her two friends enter the A&P they are wearing nothing but a bathing suit. The A&P is five miles from the closest beach, in the middle of town. They are having fun and enjoying themselves although the way they are dressed is not appropriate for where they are, but it does not appear to bother them at all. On the other hand another symbol of "A&P" is the customers. The customers of the A&P are symbols of monotony and old age.

As the customers are entering the store Sammy calls them "sheep" because they are moving as if they were in a herd and could only go and do what they were suppose to do. The older lady that is having her order rung up has to have it done a certain way or she becomes unhappy and makes it be done her way. Also the older man that Stokes gets in his line is getting the same this that he always buy, pineapple juice, never changing or doing something new. Like the customers in the A&P Lengel is a symbol in "A&P". Lengel is a symbol of rules and set ways. Lengel is the owner of the A&P and sees the girls who have come into the store and the way they are dressed, his ideas are that is not right so he proceeds to go over to the girls and get onto them.

He gets onto the girls for the way that they are dressed in his store and, As Sammy sees it, embarrasses them. Sammy then proceeds to quit which Lengel tells Sammy that the decision to quit is not the right one and his parents would not approve of it. "A&P" is a coming of age story that also contains symbolism. From Queenie who is a symbol of leisure and youthfulness. To the customers in the A&P who are symbols of monotony and old age. To Lengel who is a symbol of rules and set ways.

"A&P" as you can see has more than just one way of looking at it whether it is looking at it as a coming of age story, a story of symbolism, or even other angles it does have many way to look at it.