A Clean well Lighted Place

Imagine you have nobody to trust, no family living close by , and no friends. Well there is an old man in the short story "A Clean Well lighted Place" by Ernest Heminingway, and this old man fits all of these characteristics. In addition, the old man goes and drinks every night at a little café known to Ernest Heminingway as A clean well lighted place. This old man goes to this café every night to get drunk because he has nothing. So in this tragedy a young inexperienced waiter does not understand how the old man feels about having nothing.



Although the old man turns out okay in the end this short story, it is still a tragedy. In this tragedy the short story starts out with a conflict. This conflict is the old man handling loneliness. The only way for him to stop being lonely is for him to be drinking in the café. Next every good tragedy has a rise to power and for the old man this is being in the well lighted café. Being in this café the old man feels comfortable with himself and it makes him feel light, and have a reason to live. In addition to that there must be death symbolism. I in the old man’s case this is when the darkness sets in outside. Darkness in the old man symbolizes death and makes him feel like he has no reason to live therefore getting drunk and trying to kill himself as he tried before is an example of the tragedy. The fall in this tragedy is when the café closes causing the old man to go home where he has nothing to live for. Finally, the tragic flaw is being in the darkness and being alone.


In addition there is a young waiter that has a wife. He is very naïve in life and does not understand the old man’s position. The young waiter thinks that everything should be done on his time and why should he have to wait for the old man to finish his drink. In addition to that there is an older waiter who gets what the old man is going through and believes that it is his duty to keep this well lighted café open at night for all of the people that think they don’t have a purpose in life. Lastly by keeping this café open the older waiter gives hope to not only the old man but to all people who thinks they have no reason to live.


In conclusion, this story shows that sometimes when you are young you don’t know what other people are going though until you have gone there yourself. Also everyone has a reason to live and deserve to be happy in life.

Can't wait to go skiing up north next friday should be fun get to skip the half day can't wait good snow cold weather perfect.