A clean, well lighted place by: Ernest Hemingway

#1 The setting of the story is a small cafe in a small town somwhere in Spain where two waiters and a deaf old man interact with each other.
The idea of a clean, well lighted place is so significant to this short story because it represents a safe haven to be alone and wallow in one's missery. This is the place where lonely people go to be alone in a busy environment so that they are not totaly alone.

#2 The characters are nameless because Ernest Hemingway wanted different people to feel like this story could apply to themselves. This story has a very general setting and characters because any person in any culture can read this story and relate it.

#3 The connection between the old man and the old waiter is that they are both lonely people looking for a safe place to live out their lonely days. Both are unhappy and feel comfort in finding a place that fufills their need for society's comfort while still being unhappy people.
The purpose of the younger waiter is to show young people and their false comfort in being young, having material things, family and money to make them happy. He is in the story to show how lonely people come to fruition. The young waiter may think he is happy now but in the end of his life he will find that he is unhappy with his life and seek out a place to show his unhappiness.

#4 The Plot
Exposition: Two waiters in a small cafe in Spain wait for an old, drunk man to finish his alcohol and go home. The older waiter relates to the old man and his lonliness while the young man is impatient and simply wants to go home.
Complication: The old and young waiter argue about what is the root of the old man's unhappiness. The older one understands lonely people and their drifting from day to day while the younger one is only concerned for his immediate happiness unable to see that he is on the same path to loniliness.
Crisis Decision: The waiters decide to give the old man more drinks and hope he will leave the cafe early.
Climax: The old man leaves the cafe and pays his bill. The young waiter is happy to go home early and go to bed while the older waiter would have liked the cafe to be open longer. He explains that lonely people need a safe place to be lonely. The younger waiter pays no attention. The older waiter then goes to the bar and has a conversation with the barman. He has a shot of alcohol but refuses a second shot realizing that he does not want to go on the same path as the old, drunk man and become another lonely person at the bar.

Resolution: The old waiter goes home and falls asleep to the upcoming dawn. He thinks about lonely people and their cafe's and believe it is all due to insomnia. As he goes to sleep he says," Many must have it", signifying that there are many lonely people in the world whether young or old that look for places to spend their lonely nights.

The Theme:Happiness is not achieved through material gains and if you believe happines comes from material objects we find that the lonliness sets in we were never truly happy to begin with.

Ernest Hemingway Bio:

Ernest Hemingway began his writing career after serving in the First World War. He wrote for a newspaper in Canada as both a writer and foreign correspondant. He then moved to Key West a few years later and began writing a few of his earlier novels while traveling back and forth to Spain. He then had a few tours through Africa. Despite having a good carreer and marriage he was stricken with severe health attacks including an anthrax infection, torn muscles, lacerated eyes and broken bones. As if fate was determined to undermine him he became very paranoid in his later years along with a heavy drinking problem, depression and heart problems. His problems only became worse when America was having issues with Cuba. The government kept a close watch on him due to his activity in Cuba but he saw it as the government persecuting him for his alcoholism. He recieved mental and physical treatments in Ketchum, Idaho but they were of little help. He attempted suicide in 1961 which was unsuccesful. He recieved more treatment after this attempt but succesfully killed himself via shotgun on July 2, 1961.
Source: http://www.garyscotthompson.com/ernest_hemingway.htm