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LitCourse 10
How to Read: Theme
8

 

Theme is . . .

"A & P"
Standing up for principle—or refusing to conform to society's narrow conventions— are difficult, lonely gestures, rarely appreciated and often condemned.


Supporting evidence: Sammy lets us know the A & P with its restrictive conformity feels like a straitjacket. Fed up with the boredom and standing up for the girls—doing what he feels is right—gains him no acknowledgment, let alone reward. He learns that life will be hard.