What are some symbols and metaphors in "A&P" by John Updike?

One of the strongest symbols in “A & P” is the work apron Sammy wears.  Because the short story is considered a rite of passage or coming of age story, Sammy taking off the apron is a symbol for him growing up and maturing. The apron, which his mother washed the night before, is a symbol of his attachment to authority. By removing the apron, Sammy is figuratively “untying the apron strings” and growing up....

One of the strongest symbols in “A & P” is the work apron Sammy wears.  Because the short story is considered a rite of passage or coming of age story, Sammy taking off the apron is a symbol for him growing up and maturing. The apron, which his mother washed the night before, is a symbol of his attachment to authority. By removing the apron, Sammy is figuratively “untying the apron strings” and growing up. He no longer cares about what people think (although he realizes his parents will be disappointed by his actions), and he decides to take a stand against those who control him like the store manager. 

Other figures of speech in the story involve the way the people in the store are described.  They are compared to sheep, house slaves, and pigs being loaded into a chute.  The girls also symbolically go against the normal “traffic flow” of the supermarket and break the rules of conformity by coming in the grocery story in their swimming suits.

All in all, the young characters in this story set in the 1960’s represent the rebellion against authority that expects them to conform to the rules and values of the older generation.