Does the text of A & P by John Updike have a significant purpose? (Is it a call to action and is that action an important and relevant one?)

Literature is art, and art speaks to different people in
different ways. This is my personal response to the short story in
question.

When I read John Updike's "A & P," I
don't necessarily get the sense that the story's purpose is to act as a "call to
action," as it were. Although Sammy, our protagonist, takes a stand for his principles
in defending the young girls who get in trouble for wearing bathing suits into his
grocery store, my perception of the story's intent rests with visiting the past, and
learning about ourselves through our actions.

Sammy's
explanation of his behavior does not seem to encourage others to follow his example.
However, to me is seems to call upon us as readers to look over the past and revisit a
clarifying, pivotal moment when we took a step away from being a child, and moved toward
making more adult choices and/or decisions.

Whereas the
purpose of the story may seem to encourage a "walk down memory lane," moreover, I think
Updike provides the reader with a vehicle that will do more than stir up memories. He
asks the reader if he or she can define a similar experience, looking even farther on,
then, to attempt to understand the motivations of our actions, and most importantly, how
those actions have brought us to this point, today, in our lives. Who are we, how did we
get here, and what have we learned from this introspective
exercise?

That, I believe, is the most vital purpose of
this story—or perhaps any story. In reading literature, we can
learn more about who we are, and this is important in guiding us in what we choose to do
and/or be in the future. At the same time, it also assists us in understanding other
people as well, which I believe is equally important.