A Clean Well Lighted Place Essay

In the story, A Clean Well Lighted Place by Ernest Hemingway, a old man sits at a table, wasting away drinking brandy, and really just wanting to leave this world forever. Ernest Hemingway was just like this old man; ever since the love of his life left him for another, younger man, he didn't really care about much anymore. There is more of a connection between author and character.

The old man who spends his time at that little table in the café' each day is just Hemingway's shadow in literature. Hemingway hated his life, after he was turned down by the pretty hospital nurse, he has never been really, truly happy. Ernest Hemingway served in war and even though he was only a ambulance driver, it was attacked and he barley survived, but he ended up crippled, both from the attack and from his broken heart caused by the nurse. Something like this probably happened to the old man either in the form of lost love or of realization of lost youth. All real family of these two men are virtual nonexistent. All we know to still be around are several ex - wives of Hemingway and a niece from the old man. The story "A Clean Well Lighted Place" was written inspired by Ernest Hemingway's past experiences.

In the world we live in, many things have been discovered and improved, but not all of them are good. We have created new drugs, alcohol, and many other things that can lead ones life down into a deep pit of misery. Normally, a terrible incident, something very personal, can cause a person to go down this dreadful route. Ernest Hemingway was ricocheted from his peaceful life onto this horrible path, and this was reflected back into "A Clean Well Lighted Place" in the form of the old man who sits at the table each day, drinking himself into a peaceful, empty oblivion.