Critical analysis of Hemingway's A Clean Well-Lighted Place

John Leonard's 'A Man of the World' and 'A Clean, Well-Light Place'

Hemingway's Unified View of Old Age

In his article, "A Man of the World' and 'A Clean, Well-Light Place': Hemingway's Unified View of Old Age," John Leonard follows a tradition of mining Hemingway's companion pieces as a tool for finding the author's true beliefs (62). There are " a large number of elements common to both stories" that Leonard discusses (62). Despite the long stretch of years between the publication of the two stories, Leonard argues that they represent a consistent view of Hemingway towards age (62).

Age, specifically conflict pitting old against young, is central to both stories (63). This is emphasized even more in "A Man of the world" ("Man" hereafter) by Tom, the first-person narrator's, repeated comments on Blindy's age (63). Despite previous contentions, Leonard believes that the older character in "Man" all have a need to communicate with the young stranger: "Each older subject has a restless need to initiate youth" (63).

As age is a more obvious theme in "Man," so light is more obvious in "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place" (Clean hereafter). Here, darkness is comforting and light repellant to the old waiter (64). In "Man," to, light plays an important role -- most plot points involve a contrast between light and dark, such as Blindy's fight taking place in the light from two doorways (64). Blindy's constant darkness might actually be seen as a kind of insight or vision; he knows his life and accepts it for what it is (64). As Leonard puts it, "His is a very limited life but one that is admirably functional" (64). Despite the lack of light -- caused by blindness -- Blindy behaves largely as if he can still see, denying the dark (64).

Other worries related to old age, such as sex and money, also appear in both stories (64-5). Though the old man in "Clean" has money, both he and Blindy -- who does not -- are incredibly careful with their funds (64-5). The old man in clean, despite being drunk, carefully counts the amount he has had to drink, the amount he therefore owes, and even precise tip (65). Blindy is more obviously worried about money; because he has so little of it and earns what he does basically by begging, is he holds on to each quarter he "earns" very carefully (65). Both men also have to deal with a diminished or even disappeared sex drive (65). This is brought up explicitly in "Clean," when the young waiter brags about a wife in bed, and derisively states that the old man wouldn't have any use for a wife now (65). The reference in "Man" I less explicit; Leonard assumes that the "stomping" Blindy receives from Willie Sawyer occurred on the genitalia: "Blindy could reconcile himself to being blinded by Willie Sawyer; being castrated by him, however, is horrible and morally reprehensible" (66). The assumed impotence of the two men reflects more than lack of sex; it is also lack of companionship, which ma have been all the two men needed (65-6). Their social isolation is nearly complete; both are described as physically and emotionally/psychically repugnant due to depression (66-8)..