Theme of social class
Class is a big issue in "A&P." Sammy divides up the various people he comes into contact with into socioeconomic classes. He himself is a working-class young man. By contrast, Queenie, the name he gives to the leader of the bathing-suit trio, is a rich girl who, after a hard day romping at the beach and lounging by the pool, comes into the store to buy cocktail snacks for her mom. At least, that's how Sammy sees her. Lengel, the manager, is somewhere in between. Though he undoubtedly earns more than Sammy, he also has more responsibility and probably still struggles to get by. Sammy classifies the rest of the people in the store as "sheep" – followers who all dress, act, talk, and think alike. The story is driven by the dynamics among these various classes.