A Clean, Well-Lighted Place by Ernest Hemingway
"A Clean, Well-Lighted Place" by Ernest Hemingway is a short story that explores themes of loneliness, existential despair, and the human need for comfort in the face of life’s uncertainties. Set in a Spanish café, the narrative centers around two waiters who are tending to their last customer, an elderly man who has recently attempted suicide. The younger waiter is impatient and dismissive, eager to return to his life outside the café, where he has a wife waiting for him. In contrast, the older waiter expresses empathy for the old man, understanding his need for a clean, well-lighted place as a refuge from the darkness of solitude and despair.
As the older waiter reflects on his own life, he grapples with the meaning of existence, suggesting that the café serves as a sanctuary for those seeking solace from their troubles. The story presents a poignant contrast between the younger waiter's lack of understanding and the older waiter's deep awareness of the underlying struggles many people face. Through its minimalist style, Hemingway evokes a powerful commentary on the necessity of places that provide light and comfort, especially for those who feel lost or disconnected from the world around them. This narrative invites readers to contemplate the significance of such spaces in their own lives and the broader human condition.
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A Clean, Well-Lighted Place by Ernest Hemingway
First published: 1933
Type of plot: Naturalistic
Time of work: The 1930's
Locale: Spain
Principal Characters:
An older waiter , andA younger waiter , workers in a Spanish caféAn old man , their customer
The Story
Two waiters in a Spanish café are waiting late one night for their last customer, an old man, to leave. As they wait, they talk about the old man's recent suicide attempt. The younger waiter is impatient to leave and tells the deaf old man he wishes the suicide attempt had been successful. The young waiter has a wife waiting in bed for him and is unsympathetic when the older waiter says that the old man once also had a wife. The old man finally leaves when the younger waiter refuses to serve him further.
The older waiter argues that they should have allowed their customer to stay, that being in the café is not the same as drinking at home. He explains that he is also one of those "who like to stay late at the café. . . . With all those who do not want to go to bed. With all those who need a light for the night." He is reluctant to close because there may be someone who needs the café. When the young waiter says there are bodegas open all night, the other points out that the bright atmosphere of the café makes it different.
After the younger waiter goes home, the older one asks himself why he needs a clean, pleasant, quiet, well-lighted place. The answer is that he requires some such semblance of order because of "a nothing that he knew too well." He begins a mocking prayer: "Our nada who art in nada, nada be thy name thy kingdom nada thy will be nada in nada as it is in nada." He then finds himself at a bodega that is a poor substitute for a clean, well-lighted café. He goes home to lie awake until daylight may finally bring him some sleep: "After all, he said to himself, it is probably only insomnia. Many must have it."
Bibliography
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