A Clean Well-Lighted Place Symbolism

Within A Clean, Well-Lighted Place, symbolism is vastly applicable in the discovery of nothingness and loneliness within a small café. The overall symbol is that of a nihilistic life of which endorses the deafening of the world when engulfed in nightfall. Symbolism within the story allows for a greater effect as it emphasizes on the theme of nothingness and complete despair. As the older customer and waiter experience the traits of nihilism, the act of a well-light bar/café fills that void of nothingness because the light chases away the darkness: despair and a nihilistic lifestyle is temporary chased away when substituted for alcohol in a place that shows no signs of darkness (a symbol of nothingness) if the café has substantial lighting.
In relevance to modern society, many live and work simply to provide just enough to endure just one more day. The paycheck comes; the money is spent, and repeat. Living a life from paycheck to paycheck encourages not only nihilism, as you are not aiming for any productive goal rather than barely providing for tomorrow, but a meaningless existence. Those who repeat (and are receiving unsatisfying results) the day and seek no upper ground shall live that day in infamy until their time comes to a halt. Such as the older customer who lives simply to avoid the oblivion of loneliness through the act of nightly drinking, a person working a monotonous and non-idealistic occupation can also be equivalent. In personal experience, a person of whom I know lives their day simply by working, going home, watch some television or Facebook, and sleep (with other details, but those are the general). There is no long-term goal insight (that I am aware of) and reeks in the nihilistic lifestyle because a life without any goals represents no life at all, hence the suicide attempt the older customer attempted in an escape of the void of complete