Everyday we go on with our usual routines, not often noticing our admirers, or certain passers-by. Our main strives are based on the further extensions of our successes and joys. In life, there are many unsung heroes; most go unnoticed, such as the main character Sammy in the short story A&P by John Updike.
Sammy had the same day-in, day-out job that many people before him had and many more will continue to have. The job was a way of life for him. He didn't like the work, but he needed the occasional and sparse paychecks. Throughout the course of Sammy's job at the A&P, he noticed and observed many different types of interesting people. One day, in the midst of Sammy's monotonous pounding of cash register keys at his check-out slot, his eyes wandered off and gazed at three striking young girls that walked into the A&P.
Sammy was awestruck, and was deliberately focused on the three girls and their every moves. He noted a detailed description of each young girl and he even made certain character judgements based on how they carried themselves, and interacted with each other. Sammy defined the first of the three as "chunky, with a broad soft, sweet-looking can". The second of the trio was described by Sammy as, "tall with black hair that had not quite frizzed right" he figured that she was liked by other girls because she was somewhat attractive, "but would never quite make it". In Sammy's opinion, the third girl he described was "the queen of the group" she calmly walked through the A&P, with everyone's eyes focused on her "prim face and long neck". Not only was she beautiful, she was the leader of the other two girls. "Queenie" as Sammy called her, was looked up to by the other girls. While Sammy and everyone else in the A&P was watching the girls" every move "Queenie" led them up and down isles through the A&P. .
After what was portrayed as a long while of shopping, the three girls came to Sammy's check-out slot, and "Queenie" gave him a 49 cent jar of Herring Snacks.