A Clean, Well-Lighted Place

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Winner Take Nothing book cover. In this book "A Clean, Well-lighted Place" was published

A Clean, Well-Lighted Place is a short story by Ernest Hemingway, first published in 1926. It was later included in his 1933 collection, Winner Take Nothing.

[edit] Plot summary

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

It is late evening. Inside of the café, there are two waiters (old and young) and the old man who is sitting outside on the terrace. "The old man liked to sit late because he was deaf and now at the night it was quiet and he felt the difference". He was drunk as usual. Waiters are chatting about the old man who tried to commit suicide last week. Young waiter has no idea why he wanted to kill himself: "He was in despair" (...) "He has plenty of money".

Eventually the old man wants another glass of brandy. The young waiter comes to him and refuses to give him another glass: "You will be drunk". Disappointed, he goes back inside of the café. The young waiter starts to complain about the old man. "I'm sleepy(...) he should have killed himself last week". Then he takes the brandy bottle and marches out to the old man's table and says this word directly to the old man.

Afterwards in the café, both waiters are talking about reasons of committing suicide by the old. From this conversation, the reader can father that the old man hung himself with a rope, and that it was his niece that cut him down. The young waiter again states that the old man should go home because he wants to go home to his wife. Furthermore, the young waiter cannot understand that the old man (as well as the older waiter) likes to stay in the café longer: "He's lonely. I'm not lonely. I have a wife waiting in bed for me."- he said. Once again we can see that young waiter has no regard towards the old and describes the old as a "nasty thing." The older waiter try to explain few things to younger. The deaf man wants another glass, but the waiter who was in a hurry persuade him <<with that omission of syntax stupid people employ when talking to drunken people or foreigners. "No more tonight. Close now".>> The old man pays for the brandy and gives a tip to the waiter.

Both waiters are putting the shutter, only this time they are talking about a matter of being lonely, feeling no fear about going home before usual hours. Young man: "I'm confidence. I am all confidence." Then he says that the older waiter has the same things as he, yet older says "No. I have never had confidence and I am not young (...) I am of those who like to stay late at the café,". "With all those who do not want to go to bed. With all those who need a light for the night." Young waiter seems to not comprehend the idea of a well-lighted and clean place where the old can escape from loneliness. "..there are shadows of the leaves"- older says. Well-lighted is a contrast with the darkness of the death and bad thoughts. The darkness must be avoided because in the darkness everything is a "nada" (Spanish 'nothing'). The young waiter leaves the scene and after 'good night,' the older waiter starts his monologue about "nada" which sounds like The Lord's Prayer

Our nada who art in nada, nada be thy name thy kingdom nada thy 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.

After that he smiled (no respect toward God).

"What's yours?" asked the barman.

"Nada."

"Otro loco mas," said the barman and turned away.

The story ends with this words: Now, without thinking further, he would go home to his room. Hewould lie in the bed and finally, with daylight, he would go to sleep. After all, he said to himself, it's probably only insomnia. Many must have it.

Spoilers end here.

[edit] Reaction

James Joyce once remarked: "He (Hemingway) has reduced the veil between literature and life, which is what every writer strives to do. Have you read 'A Clean Well-Lighted Place'?...It is masterly. Indeed, it is one of the best short stories ever written..." [1] [2]