A Clean, Well-Lighted Place written by Ernest Hemingway, implies loneliness can be a harsh reality. Loneliness or solitude can be defined as being either alone without companionship or even the dejection of knowing that your alone in some way. Hemingway's skillful setting of two waiters in a café, portray the differences of old versus young behavior. In this story, the younger waiter shows happiness and eager spirits. The old waiter shows negative spirits with life being nada. Without companionship, love, or youth loneliness then equals nothing. .
Without companionship comes loneliness. In the story, even with plenty of money, the deaf old man was in complete despair and committed suicide. He preferred the shadows of the night, which gave him comfort and to apart from people. With the repeated use of the word shadow evokes fear representing the unknown. The unknown is a fear of loneliness or being without companionship. Hemingway's usage of this word helps us to understand the sorrows of loneliness. The deaf old man represented total loneliness for being without companionship, love, or youth. On the other hand, his physical condition brings up one reason of his loneliness. He has a sense of natural loneliness because of being deaf. The old man feels dejected due to his awareness of solitude by his physical handicap. Without companionship also drove the old man to drinking heavily. So even with a plenty money, the old man's life still equaled nothing without someone's companionship throughout the night. .
Throughout Hemingway's story, the relationship between man and woman shows that love does not equal loneliness. One example occurs when we see love not equaling loneliness is the young waiter who had a wife waiting for him in bed. Therefore, he had a way out of loneliness. The young waiter was always in a hurry to go home not carrying about if the old man has loneliness or not.
