Dark and Light

Author's Note: I wrote this piece for text analysis response to "A clean, Well Lighted Place" by Ernest Hemingway. I needed to score proficient on text analysis, so I analyzed the symbolism and related it to real life situations.

As we grow older, we grow wiser, we have more patience, and we learn to live life to the fullest, and don’t regret anything. We know that our time is growing shorter and learn to appreciate life. In the story “A Clean, Well Lighted Place” by Ernest Hemingway, an old man is at the café drinking until almost 3 o’clock in the morning  and the young man wants to get home to his wife, but the older waiter wanted to wait until he was done, thinking more of other people. This story shows that with age comes maturity and respect, and those are keen as we move on with life.

What stood out to me was the way he 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 thought about suicide because he was in so much despair. The money he had wasn’t the problem, it was all of the stuff he had been through. Maybe that was the reason he liked to stay up late with all of the people that need his help, or maybe he used to be like this guy, alone and in depression, and he wants to help. It doesn’t say in the story, but those are good predictions for me.

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. I was at a restaurant with my dad. A man ordering his food, and as he went to pay, he had dropped ten dollars on the floor. I was just going to wait until he left and get my 10 dollars. I pointed it out to my dad, and he told the man that he had dropped it. He picked it up and thanked my dad. The point of this is, you never know if that man needed that 10 dollars. He might need every dollar to live. If I took that money, he might become homeless, you don’t know his situation. Maybe he was a millionaire and just testing what you would do. You could get a reward from the person for being polite. Point is, you don’t know someone’s story, and you might be rewarded.

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.