A Clean Well-Lighted Place

Strong and not so strong opinions on life. Which one would you choose? Well in the story "A Clean Well Lighted Place" that is what happens. This story has many symbols that show who a real person is.


Young and immature,seeing the shadow was a wakeup call for the young waiter in the story. All he really cares about is money and his wife, which is not what everyone should only care about. Everyone should adore what they have in life, sooner or later the young waiter is going to turn into the drunk guy that goes to the bar every night. Most people in life would to waste there life just making money. This man does not make me happy, all he really does is talk about other people and make other people feel terrible about their self’s; when he is the one that he should be thinking about.


Young people are immature and unwise while well aged people are wise. Wise, more knowledgeable in life, cares about the old man that is drinking himself away. He tries to educate the younger waiter about how life is a good thing and that he should cherish it. Doesn’t sleep until daytime, he’s like a guardian who cannot sleep darkness makes him feel unsure in darkness because he worries about people like the old man. The old waiter is a symbol of hope for the young waiter, because some day he may turn into how Hemmingway was with depression and insecurity.


Hemmingway was not a good influence on many people. This short story was a flashback of what happened to him. Hemmingway was the old man that goes to the bar every night to drink. Then later on in life he does kill himself which is probably what he was trying to show through the old drunk man.


"A Clean Well Lighted Place" has many intriguing symbols. Many people may not cherish the life that they have, but the old waiter does. While the young waiter and old drunk man don’t like what they have going for them when they should. Always care for what you have before it’s all gone, and you have nothing left to hold on to.