Sammy had faced massive challenges at his workplace before he decided to quit abruptly. In “A &P”, John Updike writes that Sammy quit his job unexpectedly without giving notice.
There are people who feel that Sammy lacks substantive reasons to quit his job. They accuse him of providing naïve and immature reasons for quitting his job. For example, Nathan Hatcher suggests that Sammy quit his job, not because of any moral standards but as an attempt to show off as a hero. He also states that Sammy was only interested in impressing the three girls who had visited A & P earlier.
However, Sammy also has other emotive issues that informed his decision to stop working at the supermarket. Sammy was exploring different ways he could achieve the things he desired. Sammy started spending a lot of time with the girl because of his desire for personal achievements. Sammy interacted with the girls and significantly improved his social class. He is capable of interacting with girls of high standards and operates like people from the upper social class.
The arrival of the girls at “A&P” greatly motivated Sammy to quit his job urgently. He was highly interested in Queenie because he wanted to live her lifestyle. His attraction to the girl went beyond her physical attributes. Sammy wanted to behave and live like the girl. Sammy also quit his job because he had irreversible differences with his supervisor. Critics argue that Sammy quit his job, to become a hero in the presence of the girls. The critics note that Sammy wanted to be together with the girls through all possible means.
It is notable that Sammy started experiencing certain challenges with his life after he left A & P. The teenager left his workplace with the hope of enjoying life with the girls. However, Sammy realized too soon that life was becoming more challenging. He states that the world was possibly going to be challenging to him after the experiences he had at his work place that made him quit. Sammy explains that quitting his job may present challenges to his entire life including that of his family.
The outcomes of his actions show that he ought to have taken the time to reflect upon his decisions. He would have comprehended the potential consequences of resigning from his workplace. Sammy had faced considerable frustrating moments and declining living standards for a long time. Therefore, he decided to take advantage of the arrival of the girls to quit even though he knew that without a job life would be difficult.
The decision Sammy made to quit his job presented challenging consequences on his life. It is notable that before quitting his job Sammy supported his family. He worked as a Cashier as A & P, which enabled him to support his mother. However, after he had quit his job, Sammy no longer had the ability to fulfill these responsibilities. His actions made his family suffer massively because it became impossible to find subsistence means.
In summary, Sammy says, “I quit” in relation to his decision to stop working at A & P. Sammy decided to quit because of the girls who had attracted his attention. Sammy was apparently having certain challenges at the workplace. Sammy and his family started suffering after he quit his job. He lost his ability to support his mother after resigning.