The short story "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place," written by Ernest Hemingway, is about two waiters in a Spanish café who are discussing their last customer of the night, an elderly and lonely drunk man. ... The older waiter seems to understand the importance of the café, especially for lonely people with empty lives like the old man and himself. ... The old man has reached a stage in life where he just wants to die and being drunk in the café is the best place to ride out the storm. ...

• Word Count: 549
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School