A Clean, Well-Lighted Place- Ernest Hemingway

Abstract: In the story, there is a deaf old man that goes to a cafe. He sits there all night and drinks brandy. A waiter tells how he tried to kill himself last week. The waiter dislikes the man because the waiter wants to go home to bed with his wife. The younger waiter also does not know why the old man would try to kill himself because he thinks he has everything because he has money. The other waiter can sympathize with the old man though because he likes to stay late too. He like the old man is lonely. A well-lighted and clean place is a nice place for the lonely. A bar is not a place that the lonely like to go. The young waiter then kicks the old man out, and the old man leaves by still walks with dignity. When the older waiter leaves, he begins to talk to himself. He then says the lord's prayer but with nada in it. When he finally arrives home, he will lie in his bed until it is light because he has insomnia.

Response: The young waiter is rude to the old man. Even though the old man cannot hear,it is rude and mean to say you should have killed yourself. The young man has no sympathy for the old. He also thinks that money will make you happy because he does not get why the old man would kill himself because he has money. The old man is lonely though, and he is very separated from the rest of society. Him being deaf also further separates him and makes it hard for him to communicate with others. I think that lonely people want to be in a clean, well-lighted place because there they are further away from their darker thoughts. The dark could make you think about death and dying, so the young waiter should have let the old man stay. The old man is also a clean person who never spills any of his drink while he is drinking which could be why he prefers to go to a clean well-lighted place to drink. The older waiter can also sympathize with the old man because he too is lonely at night because he is unable to sleep. He also realizes that he too is getting old, and he would one day also like to drink in a clean, well-lighted place. He wants to treat the old man nicely because in the near future he will be old, and he does not want to be treated poorly. This story I believe reflects Hemingway's emotions. Hemingway killed himself, and I believe this is how Hemingway felt. He felt like he was all alone and know one could understand him. I believe the old man reflects Hemingway's view on how he is treated and looked at by society. The older waiter I believe is the main character in the story. He is the one that reflects on the old man and view point is reflected by the old man.