This is shown when Sammy informs Lengel that he is quitting his job and Lengel responds that he does not want Sammy to disappoint his mother and father (740). Another example of this is shown after Sammy quits his job and walks away from the A&P in his shirt that his mother had ironed for him the night before (740). This informs the reader that Sammy still lives at home with his parents and is heavily dependent on them, to the point where he doesn't even iron his own clothes. He mentions that “as soon as one begins a gesture, it is fatal not to complete it” (740), which means that since he started this gesture, he should finish it. He finally made a decision for himself and, although he feels empowered, he realizes that his life is about to get a lot more difficult.