Setting and atmosphere in narrative literature

Setting and Atmosphere in "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place"

Ernest Hemingway's short story, "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place," illustrates the importance of setting in that it not only establishes a mood but it also allows us to see different aspects of life. The mood of the story reflects the old man's attitude toward the futility of life. He is lonely and in despair and needs to be somewhere that takes this despair away from him. The cafe provides the old man with such a place because it is the opposite of what he is feeling. In this way, the polarity of the old man's dark mental state and the cafe's bright, clean atmosphere is highlighted. The cafe becomes significant because it is a place of hope and freedom for the old man. The contrasting settings emphasize the old man's despair while allowing us to understand why the cafe is important. Atmosphere becomes a driving aspect of the story as we learn more about the characters in it. The atmosphere of the cafe allows us to virtually see the old man's mindset clearly. Without this setting of the cafe, the story would lose its meaning and the characters would not have as much definition.

Hemingway creates two different moods with this story and one of them would be nonexistent without the cafe. The cafe is simply a place but because of the old man's loneliness, it becomes a sanctuary. This aspect of the story is illustrated with the conversation between the two waiters. The older waiter understands the old man's circumstance completely and attempts to explain it to the younger waiter to no avail. The older waiter tells the younger one that enjoys staying with the old, lonely people because he can understand not wanting to go home to the dark. The cafe "clean and pleasant" (565) and this is what attracts the lonely people. When they are in the cafe, they do not have to face the futility of life, which is demonstrated when the older waiter says that it is "nothing that he knew too well" (565). Michael Adams comments on the significance of the cafe. He states that it becomes the "most important symbol in the story because it represents a kind of hope, pathetic though it may be" (Adams). At home, the old man considers suicide but while at the cafe, he "can drink his brandy with dignity" (Adams). The older waiter can relate to this, noting how neat the old man is while he drinks. In short, Adams explains, "The cafe is a place where those without the innocence of youth, the illusions of belief, can pass the time with dignity" (Adams). While the cafe becomes important, it is essential to remember that the cafe is a "temporary respite from the chaos of the dark world outside" (Adams). Keeping this in mind, we can understand the importance of setting in this story. Without the cafe, the story would have less meaning because we would have nothing to which we could compare the old man's desperation or loneliness. As it is, we can see the vast difference between the two worlds perfectly.

The second mood in the story is reflected in the old man's frame of mind. He is full of despair and while he could "buy a bottle and drink at home" (Hemingway 143), it would not be the same because he would have to confront his loneliness and despair at home. The older waiter knows that drinking at home an in the cafe are "not the same" (143) but his efforts to convince the younger waiter of this are futile. The older waiter knows the desperation the old man feels and this is emphasized with the mention of "nada" and nothing in the story. Stephen Hoffman agrees that "nada" pervades much of the meaning and mood of the story. 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. 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.