Setting and Atmosphere in a Essay

Open, View, and/or
Download this Document

Total Length: 1256 words ( 4 double-spaced pages)

Total Sources: 3

Page 1 of 4

This works in relation to the old man's desire to stay at the cafe because it is nothing that awaits him when he goes home. In the bright cafe, the world is literally a brighter place. Hoffman notes, "Because nada appears to dominate 'A Clean, Well-Lighted Place,' it has been easy to miss the fact that the story is not about nada per se but the various available human responses to it" (Hoffman). This notion forces us to look at the old man's mood and the importance of how he feels. He goes on, "The clean, well-lighted place that is, is not actually a 'place' at all; rather, it is a metaphor for an attitude toward the self" (Hoffman). From this perspective, we can see the depth of the old man's loneliness. He needs the cafe to lift him from the darkness that otherwise surrounds him.

The different moods and atmospheres in the story are highlighted by the two waiters and their place in life. Their conversation allows us to understand the different atmospheres that Hemingway has created with the story. One waiter is young and married and finds his joy being with his wife while the other waiter has lived longer and finds little joy in the world. They are not simply individuals in this story - they represent phases of life. The young waiter in still in a happy phase in that he has not been beaten down by life and circumstances. He is "all confidence" (Hemingway 143) but the older waiter is not. He finds joy in many things and simply cannot relate to despair. The older waiter represents a phase of later life when one must accept old age and the loneliness that accompanies it. Unfortunately, he can relate to the old man's despair.

Stuck Writing Your "Setting and Atmosphere in A" Essay?

View All Our Example Setting and Atmosphere in a Essay

Have A Custom Example Essay Written

This allows him to have pity on these people that need a respite from the cruelty of life and it gives him pleasure to know that he can provide "light for the night' (144) for those that might need it. The older waiter is old, too, and he understands the importance of finding a place that takes him away from the troubles and worries of life. The two waiters allow us to explore the atmosphere of the cafe and the old man's mental state.

Hemingway explores mood and setting in "A Clean Well-Lighted Place" by placing two very different concepts next to each other. The cafe is a bright light of reprieve in a town where old age and loneliness can lead to despair. The cafe is simply a cafe but the fact that it is bright at night and clean give it significance in comparison to life and how it can get dirty at times. The cafe is just the opposite of the old man's dark, depressive state of mind. The cafe becomes important because the old man needs it. It is more than a place to drink; it is a place to escape the darkness that he finds at home. With thee two contrasting images, Hemingway emphasizes the atmosphere of the cafe as well at the old man's frame of mind. This story illustrates how important the setting of a story can be in that while it seems to operate quietly in the background, it is actually providing us with much information that helps shape characters.

Works.....

Show More ⇣

     Open the full completed essay and source list


OR

     Order a one-of-a-kind custom essay on this topic


sample essay writing service

Cite This Resource:

Latest APA Format (6th edition)

Copy Reference
"Setting And Atmosphere In A" (2009, April 01) Retrieved June 13, 2026, from
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/setting-atmosphere-23398

Latest MLA Format (8th edition)

Copy Reference
"Setting And Atmosphere In A" 01 April 2009. Web.13 June. 2026. <
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/setting-atmosphere-23398>

Latest Chicago Format (16th edition)

Copy Reference
"Setting And Atmosphere In A", 01 April 2009, Accessed.13 June. 2026,
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/setting-atmosphere-23398
   

Open, View, and/or
Download this Document
order custom essay example