English Comp II: Ernest Hemingway: A Clean Well Lighted Place

Henimgway's "A Clean Well Lighted Place" takes place in a cafe. A lonely old man is sitting in the cafe drinking, as he does most every night. In the cafe are also two waiters, one is old and the other is young. The man, as mentioned before, has made a habit of staying up late drinking in the cafe, probably because he does not want to be alone and in the dark. The young waiter does not like the old man, seeing him as a vagrant because he believes he is only a drunk that holds him (the young waiter) from going home and seeing his wife. The older waiter is more sympathetic towards the old man because he is similar to him, even saying that he is 'reluctant to close up because there may be someone who needs the cafe.' Unlike the young waiter, who sees the cafe as just a cafe, the older waiter sees it for something else, a place of refuge, and of safety, for all those who late at night need a place to relax and think.