Finding Meaning in A Clean, Well-Lighted Place Essay

A Clean, Well-Lighted Place Ernest Hemingway

What do people do when their lives seem to be empty and meaningless? In this short story by Ernest Hemingway, an old man gets drunk late every night in a clean well lit caf to avoid the emptiness he feels. Two waiters of different ages discuss the condition of this old man. Meanwhile a soldier and a girl passed by the street in a rush. The young waiter is in a hurry to go home to his wife and is repulsed by the old and meaningless life of the old man. The older waiter identifies with this old man in that he also feels the despair of nothingness in his own life.

The fact that the caf is well lit is a powerful symbol in the story. Darkness can be a symbol of fear, loneliness, despair, and emptiness, while the light brings comfort and companionship. The light in the caf is man-made or artificial and can be turned off; giving us the sense that it can only be a temporary and incomplete relief from the emptiness of the dark. The light that shone on the brass number that was on the collar of the passing soldier is perhaps an indication of how meaningful this soldiers life was, which can be further emphasized in that he had a companion next to him.

The old man likes to go to the caf late at night because he was deaf and now at night it was quiet and he felt the difference. Daytime, with its busy streets, probably reminded him of his disconnection from the world, while the darkness of the night made him feel as if he was not missing out on much. In essence, being deaf can bring him darkness and a separation from the rest of the world which can be the symbolic reason why he chooses to sit in the shadow of the well-lighted caf.

The old waiter identifies with the old man when he states, I am of those who like to stay late at the caf. With all those who do not want to go to bed. With all those who need a light for the night. He needs the light because he fears the nothingness of the dark, possibly due to his lack of companionship, purpose, and faith. After closing up the caf he begins to talk to himself and quotes the Lords Prayer replacing key words with nada, the Spanish word for nothing. The spiritual emptiness and darkness in his soul is further revealed when he states: It was a nothing that he knew too well. It was all a nothing and a man was a nothing too.

The old waiter, like the old man, felt a lack of purpose and an uncomfortable emptiness in his life. They both tried to escape from the nothingness in their lives by avoiding the darkness of the night. To deal with the emptiness in his life, the old waiter looks for a well lit bar and tries to avoid sleeping in the darkness of the night. The old man deals with his meaningless life by first attempting to end it, and then by drinking in a well-lighted place, and also avoiding or prolonging his need to sleep in the dark. The old man and the waiter were not in a rush to go home because they had nothing to go home too. In contrast, the soldier and the young waiter were both in a hurry because they both had someone in their lives. The depressing meaningless life that the old man and the old waiter share is unfortunately the type of life that many people share. Faith in God, being spiritually active, loving, and being loved in return, brings meaning, purpose, and light into our lives. A non-artificial permanent light that cannot be shut off and that penetrates and remains strong in our soul!