About Josh Silverstein Expertise I will answer questions relating to Ernest Hemingway's life or literature. I can also help with quotation source requests. No homework questions please.
Experience Mr. Silverstein holds a B.A. in English Literature and has been studying the life and works of Ernest Hemingway for the past ten years. His major work on Hemingway is titled, "The Importance of Being Ernest: Hemingway's Truth in Fiction and his Fiction in Truth." He is also author of "Hemingway: Alive and Well Online," an article exploring Hemingway's presence and position in the online community. He is the founder of "Timeless Hemingway," an award winning web site devoted to Ernest Hemingway.
Question Examine the theme of A Clean Well Lighted Place and the techniques Hemingway employes to project this theme (400 words)
Answer Hello,
The idea of a well-lighted place is of great significance to this short story. It illuminates the connection between the old man and the older waiter, both of whom favor well-lighted places especially at night. A well-lighted atmosphere is an atmosphere in which the old man and older waiter can escape their loneliness. In the darkness of the night, the men are more vulnerable to thoughts of suicide and despair. Darkness and sleep must be avoided, for in these states there is nothingness, "nada."
The old man and the older waiter have nothing to go home to except darkness. The younger waiter, on the other hand, has a wife to go home to, and is therefore anxious to close up the café. When he refuses to refill the old man's brandy, the older waiter wonders what difference an extra hour would make. The older waiter can empathize with the old man and understands his attraction to a clean, well-lighted place.
On some level, the younger waiter may also understand why the old man prefers drinking in a clean, well-lighted place to drinking at home, but his concern for himself takes precedence over his concern for the old man. After all, he is young and has confidence. With such confidence, it seems slightly strange that he would be rushing home to his wife. A confident man must know that his wife will be waiting in bed for him regardless of how late the hour.
