A clean, well ligted place essays

A clean, well ligted place essays The story A Clean, Well-lighted Place, pivots around difference between a clean and pleasant caf and a dark, not so clean, bar (bodegas) through the conversation between the young waiter and older waiter. The two waiters discuss about an old man who is in the caf and the idea of an existentialist is illustrated through it. An existentialist, insist that the highest good for an individual is to find his or her own unique belief and to find his or her own way without the aid of universal standards. Ernest Hemingway expresses this idea by presenting the old man and older waiter, as lonely men who need a clean, well-lighted place. Although the younger waiter seems to have happiness, Hemingway may indicate otherwise, through dichotomy between the younger waiter and the old man. The old man is depressed and lonely person who needs a place that is clean and pleasant. It is reasonable to suggest that the caf is place where the old man can find comfort. In fact, the old man tried commit suicide, but his niece found him and cut him down because she was fearful of his soul. The Catholics believe that if people, who commit suicide, will go to place called purgatory; thus, it seems that she was only concern for eternal well-being and not concern for his physical and mental well-being. Obviously, the old man cannot go to his family for comfort. Interestingly enough, a week later the two waiters see him in the caf drinking brandy, which may indicate that the comfort he has found is in a clean and pleasant cafe. Arguably, one could oppose that a person who founds comfort in drinking at a cafe will only contribute to more loneliness and depression. So, the old man should go to church to find comfort. This, however, implies that there is only one way for the old man to obtain comfort. From existentialist point of view, an individual can find his or her own comfort through his or her unique bel ...