A&P

Updike's A&P captures perfectly almost every sensory detail through the eyes of the story's protagonist, Sam. While the actual plot is rather boring - three girls walking in to a grocery store, buy something, manager is rude, cashier quits - Updike is doing a lot under the surface. Throughout the entire piece it seems like the author is gradually building up Sam's frustration with his job. He's constantly watching other customers, indicating that he's bored. The constant references to the store's aisles symbolize that he feels constricted at this job, like the walls are closing in on him so to speak. Sam's description of the three girls is in such vivid detail, i.e.

"here was this chunky one, with the two-piece -- it was bright green and the seams on the bra were still sharp and her belly was still pretty pale so I guessed she just got it (the suit) -- there was this one, with one of those chubby berry-faces, the lips all bunched together under her nose, this one, and a tall one, with black hair that hadn't quite frizzed right, and one of these sunburns right across under the eyes, and a chin that was too long -- you know, the kind of girl other girls think is very "striking" and "attractive" but never quite makes it, as they very well know, which is why they like her so much --" 

Another interesting instance where Updike has great description is the cashier-typing moment. I think these types of tangents the narrator goes off on really give us some insight into the character and his own sort of insecurity with his current work situation. It's clear that when he quits he's doing it out morals and what he feels is right. This is implied when his manager tries to make him feel bad by saying quitting would upset his parents, but Sam doesn't care. While quitting your job at a grocery store isn't so noble at first, it is in this case because, through Updike's set up, we can assume that Sam always takes orders, and based on the prose, this quitting will be his first, and last, defiant moment at A&P, and I think this micro-achievement in the realm of the story is rather triumphant to writers. We can be an example in terms of plot escalation and building up towards that climactic moment of resolution.