Essay Example on Young Man's Conflict: "A & P" by John Updike

In every situation, a young person has to make a decision. The decision is usually made out of the heat of the moment and may have profound effects for a long time. John Updike’s story “A & P” is a prime piece of literature theming the conflict between ideals and reality. Some consequences follow one after taking any action. For young people, one action could mean a lifetime of pain and suffering or a lifetime of happiness of joy. Sammie is a young man who presents himself as a prime case of wrong decisions inspired by the heat of the moment. Every decision and action in life counts, and some of the actions that young people take are the sparks for a terrible time ahead.

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The three girls did not need an advocate. When the Lengel was on the case of the three girls for what he felt was ‘indecent dressing’ in the store, Sammy was writing from the inside (Updike). He had already forgotten his job, and all his attention was fixed on the girls. He could not stand Lengel’s tough stance on the girls. He could even stand up to his boss and stop him from what he felt was humiliating the girls. It was a wring choice of loyalty. He chose loyalty to the girls who had just stepped into the store. Sammy forgot his boss of many years at the workplace.

Sammy mistook infatuation for romance and love. He must have been awestruck by the beauty and boldness of the three girls coming into the store with their bathing suits (Updike). He quit his job to rush outside and look for Queenie, with whom he had developed an infatuation. In his young mind, he probably thought he was in love. He may be felt he would win Queenie’s heart by standing up for her when Lengel was on her case with her friends. He forgot one crucial thing, the three girls were strangers, and they would remain that way.

Young people have failed in school for missing classes based on infatuation issues. One of my cousins dropped out of college after just one semester. She arrived in college and struck a short time relationship with a mate in college. She attended very few classes, failed in a majority of units, and left the first semester pregnant. After that first semester, they never spoke again with the boy. She became a mum, and her college education is already two years delayed. It was a wrong decision at the beginning of her college days that cost her time in school, and she became a mother at an early age.

Sammy’s worst mistake was quitting his job. In his conversation with Lengel, Sammy quit his job (Updike). He was warned by Lengel that this decision would haunt him for the rest of his life. As he stepped out of the A & P store, the condition of the asphalt was a warning. He was in for a tough time outside. It was tough out there. He left what was a bird in the hand to chase two in the bush. Unluckily for him, the one in hand was lost, and the two in the bush flew away. He gambled, and the risk was not worth it.

Fatal mistakes have become synonymous with young people. Young men and women are known for emotional attachment with anything that catches their attention. In this moment of distraction, one can easily make poor decisions. These are decisions made on impulse, and at times due to peer pressure. In most cases, the decisions are based on immediate excitement without much thought in the consequences. Back in high school, a classmate attended a birthday party. There was so much fun and drinking that she was lost in the entertainment. She had never taken alcohol in her life, and she decided it was time to have a go at the drink. What started then was a long ten-month period of heavy-drinking that she ended up in rehab. It was so bad that she could sneak some alcohol to school to keep up with her thirst in between lessons. She could not operate normally without taking some in the morning.

Youths are highly self-centered. When the three girls walked into A & P with their swimsuits, they must have been aware that they would draw the attention of everyone. It was not commonplace for people to dress in such a manner to the stores, and the town was not even on the seashore. It must have been an attention-seeking stunt. To the three girls, it must have worked perfectly in their plan. However, it cost the young man – Sammy – a job. They could not give him back his job, whereas he lost it standing up for them. Knowingly or unknowingly, young people have the tendencies of showing selfishness with their actions and way of doing things.

Conclusion

One decision can make life unbearable or painful for a long time. Sammy’s quitting decision was uninformed and based on infatuation. The girls’ decision to go to the store with swimsuits was uninformed and cost another person his livelihood. Many young people are inspired by the heat of the moment and make cause-altering decisions that affect them for a lifetime. Being a young mother, quitting college, or getting to rehab as a young person sets the wrong foundation for life ahead. John Updike’s story “A & P” is a lesson to young people that one should not decide for the sake of making one. Instead, they should engage in a thoughtful process to ensure whatever they say or do is informed by a crucial balancing act of the present and the future. If a decision puts the future in jeopardy, it should be avoided.

Works Cited

Updike, John. A & P. 1st ed., New Yorker, 1961.