The Venture to Manhood John Updike’s A&P illustrates how a few short moments in a person’s life can change the outcome forever. The actions, speeches, and comments of others in the story influence the main character Sammy to make a life changing decision. Sammy is a complex character with many personality traits that were brought out by the actions of others. In the first part of the story an old lady at …showed first 75 words of 985 total…

…showed last 75 words of 985 total…the manager Lengel also contribute to Sammy’s journey from boyhood to becoming a man. Things each character contributes to the story help Sammy in some small and some large ways to make his decision to take his life into his own hands and be a man. Glass 4 Works Cited Updike, John. “A & P” Literature and the Writing Process. Elizabeth Mchan, Susan X Day, and Robert Funk. 6th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice, 1999. 344-348.