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Themes in hemingway's writing
The effect of existentialism
Hemingway's writing
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“A Clean Well-Lighted Place” “A Clean Well-Lighted Place” by Ernest Hemingway is enlightened by the existential motif. Existentialism is a philosophy that concerned individual's struggle to attach meanings to their world. Individuals are the responsible in shaping their meaningless life and create a value for it. Furthermore, the individual must decide how he will live. Despair, lack of communication and pessimism are represented in this story by Existentialism philosophy where individuals reach a point in which they get to find the pointless of their life. This essay will be examining the three levels represented by Hemingway through which human beings go in regard to this philosophy. At the beginning man, with his life appearing to be meaningful with having job, youth, family and wife, suffers in his attempt to preserve what he has. Then loosing the value of what he has gradually leads to him starting to suffer from loneliness and emptiness …show more content…
According to Hemingway, existentialism as a philosophy disciplines the individuals and guides their thoughts and believes. The old men represent this discipline by his polite behaviors and reactions toward people especially with the young waiter who exhibits rude attitudes toward his client. Additionally, the old man is not in hurry, sits silently bothering his own business, watches passing people from time to time, clean and presentable even in his worst possible conditions -drunk. Moreover, the old waiter who seems to understand the old man’s situation describes him as “a very old man walking unsteadily, but with dignity”. in other words, he is a man of morals; he respects law and never condescends people. Indeed, he disappoints the two waiters, who keep an eye on him in the thought of him not paying for his drink, by departing politely after being indirectly asked -kind of dismissing him- to leave the café and paying for his drink with
The main focus of A Clean, Well-Lighted Place is on the pain of old age suffered by a man that we meet in a cafe late one night. Hemingway contrasts light and dark to show the difference between this man and the young people around him, and uses his deafness as an image of his separation from the rest of the world.
In Hemingway's short story there are three characters, two waiters and their customer. Of these three, two are older men who are experiencing extreme loneliness. The customer sits alone drinking his glasses of brandy slowly, and very carefully, peacefully becoming drunk. While he is meticulously drinking his alcohol, the two waiters talk about him. They discuss his suicide attempt of the week past. The younger waiter doesn't seem to understand why a man with money would try to end his life. Although the older waiter seems to have an insight into the customer's reason, he doesn't share this with the younger one. He seems to know why this deaf old man is so depressed, and sits there alone and silent. When the younger waiter rushes the customer, the older waiter objects. He knows what it is like to go home to emptiness at night, while the younger man goes home to his wife. The older waiter remarks on the differences between him and his younger companion when he says, "I have never had confidence and I am not young.&qu...
One observation that can be made on Hemingway’s narrative technique as shown in his short stories is his clipped, spare style, which aims to produce a sense of objectivity through highly selected details. Hemingway refuses to romanticize his characters. Being “tough” people, such as boxers, bullfighters, gangsters, and soldiers, they are depicted as leading a life more or less without thought. The world is full of s...
Hemingway begins with this allusion to Ecclesiastes in his own novel, The Sun Also Rises. In it Hemingway paints a story about a group of expatriated intellectuals living in Paris. They are part of the "lost" generation. Hemingway gives insight into the moral, sexual, religious, intellectual and political ideas of the Existential philosophy using his narrator, Jake Barnes to relate the events of his and his friends' lives.
Ernest Hemingway is known as one of the best writers of our time. He has a unique writing style in which he manipulates the English language to use the minimum amount of words and maximize the impression on the reader. A Clean, Well-Lighted Place is a prime example of this. Here, Ernest Hemingway uses his writing style to reinforce the theme of “Nada”. The setting is simple, the characters are plain, and the dialogues among them are short and to the point. It is with the absence of similes and metaphors that the reader is able to appreciate the work for what it is.
... from one friend to another. The quality, the control Hemingway had in weaving his theme through his story is the work of a true master. Philosophy is never an easy subject to tackle, with it’s complex theoretical basis, it’s seeming unending list of unanswered questions, and the frustration and sadness it can bring forward. Applauding Hemingway for his attempt at divulging into his own philosophy would be an understatement and, for the most part, would mean little to the author. He comes across as this mythical figure, who’s intellect was far superior to most, but who’s own faults brought him back down to humanity, revealing that he is far more similar to most humans, a thought that, almost certainly, would have terrified him to no end.
Through the characters' dialogue, Hemingway explores the emptiness generated by pleasure-seeking actions. Throughout the beginning of the story, Hemingway describes the trivial topics that the two characters discuss. The debate about the life-changing issue of the woman's ...
Ernest Hemingway's short story titled "A Clean Well-Lighted place" deals with the loneliness, isolation, and depression felt by many during the modernist period. The story takes place in a well lit café, occupied by two waiters (one old, and one young) and an old deaf man. This story is the perfect example of the modernist form because it questions the meaning of life. Joseph Gabriel, in his essay titled "The Logic of Confusion in Hemingway's "A Clean well Lighted Place", believes that "the dominant visual image of the story is the radical contrast between the minute spot of light represented by the café and the infinite surrounding darkness outside. " (Joseph Gabriel, The Logic of Confusion in: Hemingway's "A Clean well Lighted Place", Pg, 541) One can't help but compare the story to the image of moths attracted to a light bulb....
Ryan, Ken. "THE CONTENTIOUS EMENDATION OF HEMINGWAY'S 'A CLEAN, WELL-LIGHTED PLACE'." The Hemingway Review 18.1 (1998): 78. Academic OneFile. Web. 8 Feb. 2014.
What gives a life meaning? Some might say that family, friends, religious values, or even money give meaning to their life, but what about the people who do not have any of these things? In Earnest Hemingway’s short story “A Clean, Well-Lighted Place,” two characters are portrayed as being in despair. These older gentlemen have explicit reasons for their grief however. Hemingway presents the central theme of despair throughout the story by the use of dialogue, images, and multiple viewpoints. Through the use of these three literary tools, Hemingway is able to reiterate that without family, friends, or values life is ultimately meaningless.
The Cambridge Companion to Ernest Hemingway; edited by Scott Donaldson; Cambridge U. P.; New York, NY; 1996
..., Well-Lighted Place”, represent the opinions and views of one typical person, in one ordinary life. The theme of a world of nothingness is overwhelming to the human brain, and almost inconceivable, and everything we do in this life is simply designed to help us take our mind off of death; suicide is the ultimate escape from “despair” over “nothing” (494). Hemingway’s brilliant transitions in time explain how life eventually grows worse with age, and humans will succumb to suicide, drunkenness, or something comforting and safe, much like a clean, well-lighted cafe. Further, Hemingway has shown the world that man has created many bogus ways to cope with the insurmountable fear of nothingness, namely religion. People can try to kid their selves into feeling soulful, genuine, or meaningful, but there is no need to “fear for [the human] soul”, as it is non-existent.
Earnest Hemingway’s work gives a glimpse of how people deal with their problems in society. He conveys his own characteristics through his simple and “iceberg” writing style, his male characters’ constant urge to prove their masculinity.
Existentialism is a philosophical term that comes from the 19th century and at the time used to describe philosophers such as Jean-Paul Sarte 's and Simone de Beauvoir 's writing themes. It is a term of many vague definitions but does not contain synonyms. It is a unique concept, but could define as one 's reaction to human existence as a whole, and the difficulty finding/lacking a purpose in the world. Without experience and walking in one another 's shoes, no one will ever fully understand someones complications or situations in life. "The Clean Well-Lighted Place" is a story that is not bias, and consists of the viewpoints of an existentialist and the opinion of
Hemingway's view of human nature was that happiness was rare and was found within a man and not in his outside circumstances or surroundings. Hemingway illustrates this in three ways. First, he portrays the human nature of Santiago, the main character, as being one of humility and compassion, full of strength and pride. He is shown not as a gleefully happy man, but one who meets life with a serene, quiet resilience. Second, Santiago's fellow villagers are shown as shallow and materialistic, with a narrow view of life compared to his. Their focus on appearances is in sharp contrast to Santiago's focus on intrinsic values. Third, it will be shown that his rare brand of happiness comes from within.