A&P

Sammy seems mature enough to notice the rampant consumerism in American culture. None of the foods Sammy lists are nutritious. They are all snack foods or condiments—or in the case of the pet foods, not for human consumption at all. Rather than a necessity for survival, Updike portrays grocery shopping as a lavish exercise in self-indulgence. Sammy also seems to have a vague notion of rebellion and decides to stick up for the girls as a matter of purpose. This shows the search for maturity rather than maturity itself.