A Clean, Well-Lighted Place

A detailed Summary of A Clean, Well-Lighted Place

Since the first publications of literature hundreds of years ago people have been enthusiastically critiquing and summarizing literary works. These people try to reflect what message, theme, and point of views the author is trying to convey. Many stories are great tools to learn from. One story that is great to analyze is Hemmingway's, "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place." One aspect that can be questioned is whether this story has a religious connection or whether it is just a story with little meaning.

The main plot of "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place" is how an old man is suffering from the emotional consequences of the pain of old age. Hemingway contrasts light and dark to show the difference between this man and the young people around him. The old man is deaf and Hemingway cleverly uses this deafness an image of the old mans separation from the rest of the world. Hemingway concretes this image by having the workers discuss how the old man attempted to take his own life. Near the end of the story with this line:

"The old man counted the saucers took a leather coin purse from his pocket and paid for the drinks, leaving half a peseta tip. The waiter watched him go down the street, a very old man walking unsteadily but with digni

The author shows us the desperate emptiness of the old mans life near finished without the success of its labor. The aggravation of the old man's restless mind that cannot find peace is a burden that is unlimited. Throughout the story images of desperation show the

"It was all nothing, and a man was nothing, too. Some lived in it and never felt it but he knew it was nada y pues nada y pues nada. Our nada who art in nada nada be thy name thy kingdom nada they will be nada in nada as it is in nada. Give us this nada our daily nada and nada us our nada as we nada our nadas and nada us not into nada but deliver us from nada; pues nada. Hail nothing full of nothing, nothing is with thee"4

From the first literary works to the publication of unimaginable amounts of literature, authors have been trying to convey many things throughout there works. Hemingway one of the great authors of this literature wrote very important pieces that represent religion, theme, and many other messages. One of the great works that could be tied to religious relations would be, "A Clean, Well Lighted Place" by Hemingway. The great aspect that can be questioned in this story is whether "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place" has any religious connections or whether it is just a story with little meaning. This story is filled with images of hopelessness, and desperation. The contrasts between light and dark, youth and age are harsh and well defined, which give the reader an insite on religious representations. The presence of god in the soul leads one to the light. At the end of this story the reader is left with a sense of respect for his or her own successes and whether or not they're lives are hopeless or led by fate.

Another aspect or tool that Hemingway used in "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place" was the representation of nothing. Nothing is what the old man wants to escape. One may begin to truly see the religious associations or ties to this aspect of nothing. One may also start to believe that the older waiter is the old man's soul and dignity. Which in actuality on can see the younger waiter as the world, and a mirror image of the old man in his younger years. The older waiter, describes the old man's oppo

Some common words found in the essay are:
Clean Well-Lighted, , nada nada, Lighted Hemingway, nada nada nada, clean well-lighted, nada pues nada, religious relations, nada pues, light dark, pues nada, desperation loneliness darkness, aspect questioned story, contrasts light dark, story religious, world day, little meaning, story little,

Approximate Word count = 1481
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English