In Ernest Hemingway’s “A Clean, Well-Lighted Place”, the writer touches upon a number of themes. The plot of the short story is driven mainly by the dialogue that takes places at a café by a young waiter and an older waiter, who are waiting for an elderly customer to finish his shot of brandy so they can close for the evening. As the narrative progresses, Hemingway subtly explores the relationship between aging and faith. This theme permeates the text, shedding light on the broader interplay between aging and faith in modern society, as well as evoking memories of my own grandfather’s growing spirituality as he neared death.
At the outset of the story, the two waiters discuss the old man’s attempted suicide, and how he was rescued by his niece. The older waiter tells the younger waiter that “fear for his soul” compelled the old man’s niece to cut him down from the noose (Hemingway, 2). In this way, Hemingway introduces the reader to a fleeting glimpse of our mortality, and how our faith helps us cope with the inevitability of aging and death. As the dialogue continues, it becomes apparent that the younger man is naïve about his mortality, and perceives himself as somewhat immune to the inevitability of death and decline. “I have confidence. I am all confidence,” he proclaims boldly to the older waiter. However, he has not yet had a crisis of faith, one that only a “well-lighted place” (and some alcohol) can relieve. After the young waiter leaves, the older waiter goes to the bar, orders a drink, and reflects on the nothingness of existence. “It was a nothing he knew all too well”, he states, as he recites the Lord’s Prayer somewhat emptily, or even drunkenly (Hemingway, 4).
As it turns out, spirituality and faith help aging people cope with life in their advancing years. According to Atchley (2016), “The lack of reliable social answers to meaning questions can be a powerful impetus for an inner, experiential quest for meaning—for a spiritual journey” (Atchley, internet). As he asks the barman for a drink, the middle-aged waiter is unable to awaken in himself the awareness of his spiritual needs. He is only able to retreat to an interior world, one which reflects an inner void – he fills the void with a half-hearted prayer, and alcohol. At the conclusion of “A Clean, Well-Lighted Place”, the older waiter reflects upon his inner fears, which he is able to identify as the fear of “a nothing” (Hemingway, 4). As Atchley states, as people age, their growing spirituality sneaks up on them subtly, similar to the older waiter’s inner monologue (Atchley, internet). Similarly, I remember my grandfather (who lived to be 96) as a man who grew more introspective as he aged. He was a very humorous man, who could make anyone laugh. As he grew much older, his gaze grew more penetrating, and his stories had more spiritual substance. He could still make people laugh heartily, but his advancing years and declining health changed him, and it became difficult to know what he thought about spirituality as he neared death. Nonetheless, his years seemed to go by quickly as I grew up slowly. This kind of time warp always unsettled me, and has caused me to think about how my children and grandchildren will grow up and perceive my aging process – and death.
In a subtle, unforeseen way, Hemingway turns a light on in the reader’s mind, illustrating how aging and death are imminent. Furthermore, Hemingway shows us that it is our relationship to ourselves that give life meaning, and help us cope with the darkness of aging and death. He weaves a story that addresses the universal search for meaning in the face of death. In the end, all we really need is “a clean, well-lighted place”.
Works Cited
Atchley, Robert C. “Spirituality – Age and Life in Spiritual Development.” 2016. Web. 22 Mar, 2016.
Hemingway, Ernest. “A Clean, Well-Lighted Place.” 1933. Web. 22 Mar, 2016.
