a-clean-and-well-lighted-place-analysis

CharacterListTheOldMan-Adeafmanwholikestodrinkatthecafélateintothenight.Theoldmanlikestheshadowsoftheleavesonthewell-litcaféterrace.Rumorhasitthathetriedtohanghimself,hewasoncemarried,hehasalotofmoney,andhisniecetakescareofhim.Heoftengetsdrunkatthecaféandleaveswithoutpaying.TheOlderWaiter-Acompassionatemanwhounderstandswhytheoldmanmaywanttostaylateatthecafé.Theolderwaiterenjoysstayinglateatcafésaswell.Hethinksit’sveryimportantforacafétobecleanandwelllit,andheseesthecaféasarefugefromdespair.Ratherthanadmitthatheislonely,hetellshimselfthathehasinsomnia.TheYoungerWaiter-Animpatientyoungmanwhocaresonlyaboutgettinghometohiswife.Theyoungerwaiterisusuallyirritatedwiththeoldmanbecausehemuststaylateandservehimdrinks.Hedoesnotseemtocarewhytheoldmanstayssolong.Hisonlyconcernisleavingasquicklyaspossible.AnalysisofMajorCharactersTheOlderWaiterLiketheoldman,theolderwaiterlikestostaylateatcafés,andheunderstandsonadeeplevelwhytheyarebothreluctanttogohomeatnight.Hetriestoexplainittotheyoungerwaiterbysaying,“Hestaysupbecausehelikesit,”buttheyoungerwaiterdismissesthisandsaysthattheoldmanislonely.Indeed,boththeoldmanandtheolderwaiterarelonely.Theoldmanlivesalonewithonlyaniecetolookafterhim,andweneverlearnwhathappenedtohiswife.Hedrinksalonelateintothenight,gettingdrunkincafés.Theolderwaiter,too,islonely.Helivesaloneandmakesahabitofstayingoutlateratherthangoinghometobed.Butthereismoretotheolderwaiter’s“insomnia,”ashecallsit,thanjustloneliness.Anunnamed,unspecifiedmalaiseseemstogriphim.Thismalaiseisnot“afearordread,”astheolderwaiterclarifiestohimself,butanoverwhelmingfeelingofnothingness—anexistentialangstabouthisplaceintheuniverseandanuncertaintyaboutthemeaningoflife.Whereasotherpeoplefindmeaningandcomfortinreligion,theolderwaiterdismissesreligionas“nada”—nothing.Theolderwaiterfindssolaceonlyinclean,well-litcafés.There,lifeseemstomakesense.Theolderwaiterrecognizeshimselfintheoldmanandseeshisownfuture.Hestandsupfortheoldmanagainsttheyoungerwaiter’scriticisms,pointingoutthattheoldmanmightbenefitfromawifeandiscleanandneatwhenhedrinks.Theolderwaiterhasnorealreasontotaketheoldman’sside.Infact,theoldmansometimesleavesthecaféwithoutpaying.Butthepossiblereasonforhissupportbecomesclearwhentheyoungerwaitertellstheolderwaiterthathetalkslikeanoldmantoo.Theolderwaiterisawarethatheisnotyoungorconfident,andheknowsthathemayonedaybejustliketheoldman—unwanted,alone,andindespair.Ultimately,theolderwaiterisreluctanttoclosethecaféasmuchfortheoldman’ssakeasforhisownbecausesomedayhe’llneedsomeonetokeepacaféopenlateforhim.TheYoungerWaiterBrashandinsensitive,theyoungerwaitercan’tseebeyondhimself.Hereadilyadmitsthatheisn’tlonelyandiseagertoreturnhomewherehiswifeiswaitingforhim.Hedoesn’tseemtocarethatotherscan’tsaythesameanddoesn’trecognizethatthecaféisarefugeforthosewhoarelonely.Theyoungerwaiterisimmatureandsaysrudethingstotheoldmanbecausehewantstoclosethecaféearly.Heseemsunawarethathewon’tbeyoungforeverorthathemayneedaplacetofindsolacelaterinlifetoo.Unliketheolderwaiter,whothinksdeeply—perhapstoodeeply—aboutlifeandthosewhostruggletofaceit,theyoungerwaiterdemonstratesadismissiveattitudetowardhumanlifeingeneral.Forexample,hesaystheoldmanshouldhavejustgoneaheadandkilledhimselfandsaysthathe“wouldn’twanttobethatold.”Hehimselfhasreasontolive,andhiswholelifeisaheadofhim.“Youhaveeverything,”theolderwaitertellshim.Theyoungerwaiter,immersedinhappiness,doesn’treallyunderstandthatheislucky,andhethereforehaslittlecompassionorunderstandingforthosewhoarelonelyandstillsearchingformeaningintheirlives.Themes,Motifs,andSymbolsThemesLifeasNothingnessIn“AClean,Well-LightedPlace,”Hemingwaysuggeststhatlifehasnomeaningandthatmanisaninsignificantspeckinagreatseaofnothingness.Theolderwaitermakesthisideaasclearashecanwhenhesays,“Itwasallanothingandmanwasanothingtoo.”WhenhesubstitutestheSpanishwordnada(nothing)intotheprayersherecites,heindicatesthatreligion,towhichmanypeopleturntofindmeaningandpurpose,isalsojustnothingness.Ratherthanpraywiththeactualwords,“OurFatherwhoartinheaven,”theolderwaitersays,“Ournadawhoartinnada”—effectivelywipingoutbothGodandtheideaofheaveninonebreath.Noteveryoneisawareofthenothingness,however.Forexample,theyoungerwaiterhurtlesthroughhislifehastilyandhappily,unawareofanyreasonwhyheshouldlament.Fortheoldman,theolderwaiter,andtheotherpeoplewhoneedlate-nightcafés,however,theideaofnothingnessisoverwhelmingandleadstodespair.TheStruggletoDealwithDespairTheoldmanandolderwaiterin“AClean,Well-LightedPlace”struggletofindawaytodealwiththeirdespair,buteventheirbestmethodsimplysubduesthedespairratherthancuresit.Theoldmanhastriedtostaveoffdespairinseveralunsuccessfulways.Welearnthathehasmoney,butmoneyhasnothelped.Welearnthathewasoncemarried,buthenolongerhasawife.Wealsolearnthathehasunsuccessfullytriedtocommitsuicideinadesperateattempttoquellthedespairforgood.Theonlywaytheoldmancandealwithhisdespairnowistositforhoursinaclean,well-litcafé.Deaf,hecanfeelthequietnessofthenighttimeandthecafé,andalthoughheisessentiallyinhisownprivateworld,sittingbyhimselfinthecaféisnotthesam