Hemingway's A Clean Well-Lighted Place

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 5

Hemingway's A Clean Well-Lighted Place

Let's first take a look at the surface. 

While the deaf old man is sitting on the terrace, a couple walks by.
Who are they?

1. A soldier and his girlfriend
2. A guard and a prostitute
3. A soldier and a prostitute
4. A soldier and his mother

"He should have killed himself last week"
The old man tried to kill himself and failed because

1. He had financial problems and his niece prevented him
2. He was in despair and his niece cut him down
3. He was in despair and his niece prevented him
4. He had financial problems and his niece cut him down

The young waiter wants the old man gone because

1. The young waiter wants to go to his wife
2. the old man is drunk and will forget to pay
3. the old man is nasty and dirty

What is the only thing the old and young waiter have in common

1. confidence
2. a wife
3. youth
4. a job

When they have locked their bar up, the old waiter goes to a bar.
What does he dislike about it?

1. It's too light
2. It's not light enough
3. the waiter is unfriendly
4. it's not clean

But what does it mean?

The Old Man

The Young Waiter

The Old Waiter

Confident

in despair

insomniac

rich

married

understanding

impatient

condescending

says a prayer

suicidal

drunk

How does Hemingway use symbols?

Combine the symbols with the themes of The Lost Generation

Life as nothingness

Desparation & Loneliness

Death

nature

inability to understand the other

the light shining through the trees

the 'nada' prayer

the attempted suicide

soldier & prostitute

"you should have killed yourself"

the bodega with the unpolished bar

niece cuts the old man down

young waiter