I feel that one of the major themes in A&P is that of choices and consequences. In the story Sammy acted in the heat of the moment, not really thinking things through. He stood up for the way the girls were being treated, and while doing that he quite his job. Sammy is still very young and has a lot to learn, but he stuck to his guns.
He may have quite his job without a real good reason, but he showed he was a man. When I say that, I mean he didn’t try to weasel his way out of what he said. So to add to that a little more, I would also say that he became a man in the course of the story because of how he acted. When the girls first walked in to the store, he was unable to concentrate and couldn’t take his eyes off of them. As the girls got into trouble he matured and stuck up for what was right.
In doing that, he made a drastic decision, but stuck to it like a man should. There are many different symbols apparent in this story. Most of which I noticed were about social class and future. The first one was the herring snacks Queenie was after. I think the represent the upper class because they are an expensive snack. Then you have the other clerk Stokes ie, which represents Sammy’s future if he stays at the A&P.
You also have the manger that represents everyone who is uptight and strict about the rules. You also have the point at which Sammy stuck to his decision, which shows he is grown up.
