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Overview
“A&P” is a short story by American author John Updike that was first published in The New Yorker in 1961
. It is a first-person narrative told by Sammy, a teenage cashier at a small-town grocery store, part of the A&P chain. When three girls in bathing suits enter the store and are chastised by the store’s manager, Sammy quits his job in protest. The story is often celebrated for its richly detailed and atmospheric prose, as well as its exploration of themes related to rebellion, societal expectations, and the power of desire.Read the full story summary, a in-depth character analysis of Sammy, and explanations of important quotes from “A&P.”
