“A clean well-lighted place”, written by Ernest Hemingway, is a story that takes place in a well lighted café where an old deaf man, who is a client, and two waiters have to stay late at night. In this story, each character tries to fulfil the emptiness of their lives. They look for security and they get it through needs and through light.
First of all, to feel secure is a very important need for any human and this reality is found in the text. The characters satisfy it by something that helps them to forget their problems. For example, the young waiter does not like to stay late in the café, for him it is just his work. He does not stop saying: “I want to go home to bed”(1017), “ I want to go home and into bed”(1017). This repetition shows us his insistence. He does not understand why the old man likes the café because both do not have the same anxiety. He says: “He’s lonely. I
m not lonely. I have a wife waiting in bed for me”(1016). He finds reassurance in his bed close to his wife, and he feels peace at this specific moment. Also, there is another person who is a perfect image of what it is to be looking for need. A quick observation will make us realize that the girl who is walking with the soldier is a prostitute. One waiter says: “The guard will pick him up”(1015), it proves us that he is doing something bad, and then his colleague answers: “What does it matter if he gets what he’s after?”(1015). The young man wants sexe, he is looking for what could make him feel good. Take the risk to
get caugth by the guard is the proof that the solder is ready to do anything to get what he is after and the whore is there to satisfy it. Everybody has their own way to fulfil their need.
Secondly, some people are more confident when there is light because it helps them to feel more secure. Light s
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