There's always a light

Author's Note: I wrote this piece for text analysis, and it was to "A clean, Well-lighted Place" by Ernest Hemingway. Overall, I decided to analyze it with symbolism and life situations.

As we grow older, we become wiser, we steadily get more patience, and also we learn to live life to the fullest. We know that our time is growing shorter and learn to appreciate life more. In the story “A Clean, Well-lighted Place” by Ernest Hemingway, an old man is at the café drinking till around 3 in the morning. The youngest waiter has a problem with this, but the older waiter feels the old mans pain. This story shows that with age comes maturity and respect, and those are key aspects later in life.

 First of all what stood out in the story was how Hemingway used words. He didn’t just describe everything, he gave some metaphors and use symbolism. The older waiter says in the story, “Each night I am reluctant to close up because there may be someone who needs the cafe." He also says, "I am of those who like to stay late at the café with all those who do not want to go to bed. With all those who need a light for the night." In this case, the light symbolizes money, and all of the things that the homeless people and the people in need, need. He is looking out for the people that usually don’t have light, and when you’re young, you don’t realize how good you have it. That’s why as you mature, you learn to sacrifice your time or your sleep to make others happy, because they are not as fortunate as you.

The darkness in this story symbolizes all of the despair these people go through, and part of the reason the old man was out there so late, was because it was nice and quiet, even though he was deaf, he knew no one was around and he could get things off his mind. The old man felt alone not because of the present but of the past.

 Next the symbolism in this story displays real life thoughts, and I have actually been in this kind of situation, where the older, more wise person makes the best decision. If your walking down the street and someone drops 5 bucks you shouldn’t just wait until they leave then take it. they might need every dollar to live. You don’t know the persons situation, what if they really need that money, or what if they were just testing to see what you’d do?

With age comes maturity and respect, and you learn to help others. Help out the less fortunate. They need things more than we do, and we can give things up because we have it pretty good. We need to be respectful to everyone else around us, and give a little. As you grow older you understand this more, and hopefully will apply it.