A Clean Well Lighted Place

1. A Clean Well Lighted Place By: Ernest Hemingway

2. Ernest Hemingway • Lived most of his life in Paris and Spain • Was a WW1 war veteran • Suffered from depression • Had an alcohol problem • In 1961, he committed suicide

3. Plot • Starts in a café at night with two waiters discussing an old man sitting down • Young waiter is ready to leave and unsympathetically pushing the old man out • Older waiter identifies himself with the old man and tries coaxing the younger waiter to leave him be • Old man leaves, and the old waiter leaves and goes to the bodega • Ends up at home alone trying to associate his feelings of emptiness as a norm

4. Theme • The idea explored in this short story is the nothingness of life and the nothingness it ultimately results in.

5. Characterization • Old Man: Reflected the older waiter in that they both feel empty and have nothing. • Younger Waiter: Had everything the old waiter and man lacked. Which consisted of family, confidence, and youth. • Older Waiter: As with the old man, experienced feelings of emptiness and had basically had no life left in him.

6. Setting • Café: a bright, well lit, clean, and uplifting place • Bodega: has harsh lighting gives off feeling of gloominess and unsanitary

7. Tone and Style • Tone: Told in a very depressing and isolated manner. The reader feels empathy for both the old man and the old waiter. • Style: Style was in a objective point of view. The reader had no idea what thoughts or feelings the characters had. A “fly on the wall” technique.

8. Symbols • Shadows symbolized the emptiness that the protagonist felt along with the old man. • Café represented well being and a place of comfort • Bodega showed the lack of respect the old waiter had for himself due to the feeling of loneliness.