In essence, this is a short story of two waiters in a café having a conversation before closing for the night. Since they still have a customer, they cannot leave; while the older waiter sympathizes with the old man sitting at the table, the younger one is anxious to get home to his wife. Without realizing it, they engage in different discussions such as the meaning of line. The story, written by Ernest Hemingway reflects the author’s perspectives on the loss of humanity and faith in the world. According to scholars, the writer constructed this story from his experiences of World War I in efforts to express his emptiness that he felt after the war. The aim of this essay is to look in-depth at the plot, themes, and literary devices employed by the author in efforts to develop the story.
Analysis
Essentially, the primary aspect of the story is nothingness; no action happens in the story, the characters stand for nothing, and there is no plot. Additionally, the theme of the story is nothingness, as Hemingway seeks to emphasize the sterility of this world, which is characterized by nothingness. It is evident that the characters that have been placed in the story are searching for peace; moreover, Hemingway has used them as vessels for his own emotions. It is evident from the story that both Hemingway, the old man at the table, and the older waiter are experiencing an empty and meaningless life filled with emotional darkness. Additionally, they are both victims of hopelessness, fear, and inner loneliness, and nothingness (Hemingway 379). As such, the clean well-lighted café is a refuge as it serves as an oasis in the darkness. However, even though this place provides comfort, warmth, and calms their nerves, it is only temporary.
There are several literary devices used such as symbolism, setting and repetition incorporated in A Clean well-Lighted Place to develop the story and convey the aspect of nothingness. For instance, symbolism is used to convey nihilism as the author implies that there is nothing heavenly for humanity to believe in the world. According to Hemmingway, there is the loss of faith and hope for humanity, which prevents man from living a normal life. Hemmingway has also incorporated repetition of words such as the old man sitting in the shadow to show the intensity of separation from the world and the depth of loneliness Hemingway suffers (Hemingway 381). On the contrary, the theme of setting; a well-lighted café depicts an opportunity for man to escape the nothingness, forget their fears, and survive with dignity.
Conclusion
A Clean Well-Lighted Place is a story by Hemingway that suggests that main is an insignificant speck in a sea of nothingness and that life has no meaning. Arguably, the aim of the story is to leave the readers with nothing in efforts to help them understand the emotional darkness, depression, fear, and isolation that the author experiences. As such, Hemingway provides minimum information in the short story. However, it is of the essence to recognize that the author shows the audience how to escape the aspect of nothingness. According to Hemingway, an individual must find a pleasant place, with order, cleanliness, and the light so as to cheat the nothingness. As a consequence, such a person will survive with dignity in this meaningless and empty world. Essentially, the significance of the story is not the nothingness depicted by the author, but how the customer and older waiter respond to this phenomenon.
Work Cited
Hemingway, Ernest. "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place." The short stories of Ernest Hemingway (1933): 379-83.
