Expressing the angst of the Lost Generation after the First World War, Hemingway reflects upon the

mood and temper of a disillusioned society. “A Clean, Well-Lighted Place” offers a brief look into the
nothingness by which the society at that time was surrounded. After the First World War, people
were inquiring into the meaning of life. They were seeking answers to who they were and why they
were here.

1. Is the old deaf man an incidental character in the story?

No, because he is an important character. The waiters seem to be very interested in what is
happening in the life of the man and their conversation revolves around this mysterious character.
He helps us understand both waiter’s attitude towards life.

2. Do you think the younger and the older waiters are indeed “of two different kinds”?
Throughout the story, it is very clear that they are indeed of two different kinds.
The old waiter has more compassion and understands the old man. He reflects upon life and
understands the problems of old age. He is not hurried to go anywhere because he wants to be one
with all those who do not want to go to bed and those who need a light for the night. He identifies
himself with the old man and understands how pleasant it is for the old man to sit in a public place
instead of being alone in his bed. He knows what it is like to feel emptiness and to live immersed in
darkness.
The young waiter, on the other hand, is not concerned about the old man’s loneliness and is
impatient to leave the café. He has many reasons to enjoy life. He has a wife waiting for him, he is
young and he has a job. His life has a purpose and he feels that he has “everything”.

3. What is the true meaning of “insomnia” at the end of the story? Why might the older waiter
dismiss his dissatisfaction as such?
The old waiter does not want to go back home, because he will not be able to sleep. His insomnia
will return. This insomnia means that in the silence and in the darkness, there is an emptiness that
he cannot face. The sense of growing old, the darkness of death, the chaos in the world and the
nothingness of life create an insomnia that he cannot escape from.

4. What are the conflicts in A Clean Well-Lighted Place? What types of conflict (physical, moral,
intellectual, or emotional?
The conflict in the story is both moral and emotional. An empty, meaningless life and the emotional
darkness surround both the old man and the older waiter. The old man is in some kind of existential
despair; he has attempted suicide and he leads a lonely existence. At the same time, the old waiter
knows that there is something internal that is missing and his life is devoid of spiritual meaning. A
vast nothingness dominates the old man and the old waiter’s lives and they have both lost hope. It
seems that the beauties and love of the world are no longer available to them. Throughout the story
we can see that they are in a constant struggle to inquire into the meaning of life and seek answers
to who they are and why they are here.

5. Analyze this quote:

‘I wouldn’t want to be that old. An old man is a nasty thing.’
This quote shows the young waiter’s disregard for the elderly. The young waiter is not concerned
about human suffering and is not able to empathize with the old man. He seems unaware of the fact
that he will not be young forever and that he will also probably need a place to find comfort later in
his life. He is lucky because he has reasons to live, but he is too immature to understand this. He has
little compassion and understanding for those who are lonely and still searching for meaning in their
lives.
6. What do you understand by the waiter’s idea of nothingness?
The idea of nothingness implies that life loses its meaning when we lose the purpose to live. A sense
of futility overwhelms the old waiter and makes him lose control of his own existence. He suggests
that as we get old, we realize about the meaninglessness of life. No one can escape from the misery
and boredom of life, because we live in a world without solace.

7. What does the older waiter really pray for, if anything?

The old waiter replaces many words in the Lord’s Prayer with the Spanish word “nada”. This implies
that religion is not a comfort for him. Religion does not mean anything, anymore. He does not feel
close to God even though this is supposed to be a prayer. He does not have an active spiritual life.
There is just emptiness. In the absence of religious belief, it becomes difficult for him to understand
the reality of his life. Without afterlife life seems to have no meaning, no purpose, no hope.

Themes:
 Sense of futility and inevitability of death
 Loneliness
 Life as nothingness
 Youth and age

Third Person Narrator: The narrator has the privilege to see in the minds of the three
characters. We can see what is taking place in the mind of the old waiter and how he
identifies himself with the old man.