If I had to choose a line that is as intense and
course-altering as "I quit" is, I believe I would choose, "You'll feel this for the rest
of your life." I would also point out the line, "...my stomach kind of fell as I felt
how hard the world was going to be to me hereafter."
All
these statements point to a change of direction in the story's plot, and seem directly
related to the "rite of passage" theme this story
presents.
Prior to these statements, Sammy, our author, is
simply a kid working a summer job. He has little to worry about but stocking shelves or
ringing up grocery purchases. Life is relatively easy for him, and he reacts with the
impulsivity of youth out of a sense of "honor" he feels in order to defend the
girls.
To be accurate, the action
might be defending the girls, but the intent is to put himself "out
there," to take a stand and define, in some unconscious way, who he is and what is
important in his life: this may be as simply as being true to his sense of fair
play.
The time during which the girls walk through the
store is representative of Sammy's innocence. When he quits, he walks through the "door"
that takes him to the other side—to awareness...the first step of his journey to growing
up.
Each statement is an absolute: there is no half-way
here. For Sammy, it's all or nothing, and we find he is an "all" kind of
guy.
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