The transition of the teens to the adulthood - Essay Example

The transition of the teens to the adulthood Introduction The transition of the teens to the adulthood is a critical stage in life that is characterized by making of sensitive decisions. Consequently, immaturity is a one of the most influential elements that undermine personal decision-making. Such an idea has been well-depicted in the book Literature and Its Writer, by Charters where in various short stories reveal the aspect of immature decision-making. For instance, in the short story, “A & P” Sammy is the central character and he appears to be influenced by love affections to make his decision of quitting his job as a check-out clerk. On the other hand, Connie the central character in the short story “Where are you, where have you been?” is driven by fantasy of music (world) and daydreaming of boys and decides to leave her family for Arnold (Updike, 1989). Teens have the tendency of making a good first impression upon meeting their female counterparts. Such an idea is what Sammy is doing in John Updike’s “A & P”. Though some readers may conclude that Sammy is a hero for standing for his sole beliefs up on quitting his job, it is evidently that he quits for a love impression with the girl that he is attracted to, Queenie. Such an idea makes him be proud of his deed and bring attention to the girl. Consequently, Sammy seems to be fallen in love at first sight with Queenie as he goes ahead to describe how the girl looks like and her manners. For instance he says, "She was the Queen. She kind of led them, the other two peeking around and making their shoulders round" (Updike, 1989). Therefore, it well depicts that, Sammy is still in his adolescence stage as he cannot understand the risk of mixing his job responsibility with love feelings that he wants everyone to note of them. Sammy appears to be opinionated, disaffected and sarcastic teenager as he keeps a keen sense of ladies within the working environment. The idea of noticing every female sex around him indicates that he is immature and sleazy. He goes to an extent of noting their physical appearances, their texture, as well as their tan lines. He argues, "And the women generally put on a shirt or shorts or something before they get out of the car and into the street. And anyway these are usually women with six children and varicose veins mapping their legs and nobody, including them could care less" (Margill, 1993). The author notes nowhere in the story Sammy talking of his family, his job or even a current issue. Such an aspect indicates how his mind is divided and his big priority in his decision making has been allocated to sexual encounters. Apparently, he may be taken to present the many teens who find their selves in such situations. Decisions made within such times influenced by sexual orientations may be immature and boyish as depicted by Sammy (Uphaus, 1991). Sexual orientations may be part of the motives that the teens may be alleged of in making their decisions. For instance, he seems to be bored by his current job. He goes to an extent to call his customers bitches, house slaves and sheep. However, he gives lovely descriptions of the three girls who enter the store in bathing suits; who everyone is lustful of them. As Lengel, his boss, intervenes to confront the bad-dressed ladies, Sammy himself fantasizes being in one the girl’s house having party. Simultaneously he imagines, "her father and the other men were standing around in ice-cream coats and bow ties and the women were in sandals picking up herring snacks on toothpicks off a big glass plate and they were all holding drinks the colour of water with olives and sprigs of mint in them" (Updike 1989). From the above scenario, as Queenie leaves, he blurts that “I quit” loud enough for the ladies to hear and make Lengel Swallow that. Accordingly, Sammy can be depicted to present the teens who do not know how to communicate. He is coward enough to face his boss and report of his boredom. However, he can be seen to be motivated by sexual feeling he has for the ladies to quit his job. Moreover, such a decision may be reflected to adversely affect his social life. In the short-term Sammy’s life will definitely take another direction. For instance, he has to loose social ties with Lengel and his work mates as they perceive him to be a fool, yet the girls are nowhere to be seen. Additionally, he has lost financially as, he quits job without any notification. Therefore, he is making his life harder as he impressed no one since the girls seems not to fit in his middle class lifestyle; immature decision, but a loser of all. On the other hand, he has to disappoint his parents for such a decision because they don’t expect such a thought for their son. They have to support him unlike their expectations for he is a grown up. “Where are you, where have you been?” depicts Connie to be sleazy and motivated by the world’s fantasies. Music and boys seem to occupy her mind since she claims that her father does not buy her enough time. Additionally, the author claims that her father "was away at work most of the time," and "didn't bother talking much to them," (Charters and Samuel, 1997). Therefore, she appears to be missing male love right away from his father and she decides to seek male’s love elsewhere. Such an aspect holds the grounds of escaping her home for Arnold in the restaurants where she enjoys music and fantasies from the boys, Eddie and Arnold. It is evident that this is immature as she lacks communication skills which she can use to talk to her parents. She cannot even realize that commitment is part of the adults. Therefore, she may represent immaturity and girlish thoughts that influence almost every teen. However, escaping her home makes her feel that the fantasies that she missed from her home can be found elsewhere. For instance, she appears to fantasize in Arnold’s car with the cool music that is playing. She listens to music, "bathed in a glow of slow-pulsed joy" (Charter and Samuel, 1997). However, the author notes that, Connie seems to love Arnold at first sight from the restaurant and in his car. Therefore, she gives in to him and thinks that he "had come from nowhere, and belonged nowhere and that everything about him "was only half real" (Charters and Samuel, 1997). She tells herself that that "I'm not going to see my mother again... I'm not going to sleep in my bed again” (Charter and Samuels, 1997). Connie’s decision is similar to that of Sammy, as she feels to make her mother bear the pain of her escape. She sees herself as a hero with her escape to Arnold’s house. She thinks Arnold is the best man, however, she cannot even think of her future and the consequences that this decision will bring. For instance, she breaks her relationship with her parents. She even never gives a notification of her departure. Accordingly, if things do not work with Arnold, she has to suffer from cognitive guilt since she will have nowhere to belong. She will lack parental care as she is tender for marriage. However, for now she is obsessed by love and romance but moving in with Arnold will cut social ties with her friends as she assumes a new status. She will also miss the financial care that the parents used to give, as the author does not mention how rich Arnold is. Additionally, Arnold realizes that Connie is vast hence she can be manipulated out of her vanity to seduce her. Unfortunately, she does realize that the vanity she bears has to be part of what causes her death. Connie dies in the hands of Arnold in the long-term due to her vanity and mistaken life for romance. Conclusion In conclusion, it is real that humans develop their minds in stages that influence the maturity of the decisions they make. Immature decisions have been seen with the two central characters in the two stories. Sammy’s decision is intentional which leads to his hard life and the adverse consequences. On the other hand, Connie id forced by the situation at home to escape and be with Arnold. This is immature decision that most teens, especially girls make without understanding that love and lust are married to each other and the consequences are irreversible. However, the teens are bound to be affected by world’s invaluable issues such as ego, peer pressure, and fantasies in making their sensitive decisions. Such motives subject the teens to different casualties in their lives as seen with Connie’s death. However, Sammy can learn to be strong with his decisions in future while with Connie it is too late for change as death takes her. References Charters, A. & Samuel C. (1997). Literature and Its Writers: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Boston: Bedford Books. Magill, F(1993). Critical Survey of Short Fiction. Vol. 6. Pasadena, California: Salem Press. Uphaus, S (1991). Short Story Criticism. Vol. 13 Detroit: Gale Research Inc., 372-373. Updike, John. "A & P." (1989) Harper Anthology of Fiction. Ed. Sylvan Barnet. New York: HarperCollins. Read More