A Clean Well Lighted Place By Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Hemingway was one of the most influential and well known writers of the 20th century. The classic American author was born on July 21, 1899 in Oak Park Illinois. Inspired by his father, he focused very much on hunting, fishing, bullfighting, and war. Much of his childhood took place outdoors, in the woods of northern Michigan where his family spent their summers. Hemingway’s father was a doctor and an outdoorsman, while his mother was active in the affairs of her church. He was a choirboy and played the cello for his church, and was also president of the Christian Endeavor Society. The Christian influences in his life likely Early in his life, he lost his father to suicide. This may account for some of the morbid themes that his writing
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It means “nothing” in english, and it repeated often throughout the story. Hemingway uses this when he replaces words from a prayer to “nada”. “Our nada who art in nada, nada be thy name thy kingdom nada thy will be” (5). He uses this to convey that religion, although comforting, is just as meaningless in the end as a man is. “It was all nothing and a man was a nothing too”(5). Another time this is used in the story is when the waiters discuss the old man's attempted suicide. The older waiter responds that he tried to kill himself over “nothing”. The young waiter interprets this as “no reason” and scoffs, saying that it doesn't make sense. However, the reason actually is “nothing”; “nothing” being the emptiness that is present in all of us, and the desperate search for meaning.
The last symbol in “A Clean Well Lighted Place” is the soldier who passes by the cafe. He is walking on the street with a girl, who the waiters presume to be a prostitute, and the young waiter points out that he should get off the street or the guard will catch him. The older waiter responds, “What does it matter if he gets what he’s after?”(4). This represents the true meaninglessness of our life and our actions. It doesn’t matter if he gets caught, as long as he gets to sleep with the girl. This is what the older waiter thinks, while the younger waiter is thinking more down to
It means “nothing” in english, and it repeated often throughout the story. Hemingway uses this when he replaces words from a prayer to “nada”. “Our nada who art in nada, nada be thy name thy kingdom nada thy will be” (5). He uses this to convey that religion, although comforting, is just as meaningless in the end as a man is. “It was all nothing and a man was a nothing too”(5). Another time this is used in the story is when the waiters discuss the old man's attempted suicide. The older waiter responds that he tried to kill himself over “nothing”. The young waiter interprets this as “no reason” and scoffs, saying that it doesn't make sense. However, the reason actually is “nothing”; “nothing” being the emptiness that is present in all of us, and the desperate search for meaning.
The last symbol in “A Clean Well Lighted Place” is the soldier who passes by the cafe. He is walking on the street with a girl, who the waiters presume to be a prostitute, and the young waiter points out that he should get off the street or the guard will catch him. The older waiter responds, “What does it matter if he gets what he’s after?”(4). This represents the true meaninglessness of our life and our actions. It doesn’t matter if he gets caught, as long as he gets to sleep with the girl. This is what the older waiter thinks, while the younger waiter is thinking more down to