The young waiter in the book a clean well-lighted place is brash and insensitive
The young waiter in the book a clean well-lighted place is brash and insensitive, and this prevents him from seeing beyond himself. The young waiter clearly depicts his sense of home, and he identifies with it well. He clarifies that he is not lonely and is always eager to go back home and meet his wife who has been waiting for him all day. He shows the longing one has to go home and how the one at home waits for them patiently. However, he does not seem to care about others opinion and why they stay at the café and thus does not recognize their loneliness.
The café has turned to be a refuge for the lonely and it is the only place they can call home thus they drink late into the night. The young waiter goes ahead being rude to the old man as he wants to close the café early and return home to his wife. He forgets that he will not be young forever and that it is not the old mans wish to be lonely but he is just looking for peace and can only have it while he is drinking (“Sparknotes: A Clean, Well-Lighted Place: Study Guide”). This clearly depicts the importance of having a place to call home as it is a place where one can find solace in life and not battle with loneliness.
The young waiter is lucky to have a home and a place to return to after work unlike others who are battling with loneliness and have to spend their time in the café drinking. The old waiter tells the young waiter that he should be thankful that he has everything and has a whole life ahead of him to live. With this in mind the young waiter is happy and claims that he is not lonely in any way and has wife waiting for him at home.
The young waiter who is a character in this book shows the importance of having a home as it brings happiness and doers away with loneliness. In this case he shows that there is more to having a home and that everyone’s should be grateful as the idea brings peace and solace. However, the old man is troubled and needs a place where they can find solace and the café is the only place, he can spend his time at.
In this book the young waiter is immature and says rude things to the old man who come to find refuge in the café. He does not care why he stays there late at night and does not notice his loneliness. The old man has no home and due to lack of peace he even tried to committed suicide and this made him to find a place he can sit at peace and not let his lonely thoughts to consume him (Nott, 1961). The young waiter fails to understand that he worn remain young forever and at some point, he will look for a pl ace he can find peace away from home.
The young waiter displays dismissive attitude as he told the old man that he should have gone ahead and killed himself instead. It is not the right way to treat a lonely person but should rather give them company and help them see the world from a different angle. The old waiter however comes to his rescue and gives him company for sometimes before he lives to go home.
The young waiter is insensitive in way that he doesn’t think beyond himself. The fact that the old man came to stay at the café late is an issue of concern but the young waiter hurls unkind words to him. He doesn’t seem to care what the other person says and their idea about home. The old man only comes to the because he needs to solace and a peaceful place.
The young waiter could have been a better person if they considered other people’s opinion and emotions. It is not good to judge without knowing what another person is going through and should not wish bad to others (“Sparknotes: A Clean, Well-Lighted Place: Study Guide”). By telling the old man that he should have just committed suicide instead, it shows that he does not care and considers the old man as a bother.
The young waiter is a happy person as he has a place to call home and a wife. The thought of having a place to go after work is really a great thing. The only problem arises when he does not understand that not everyone has a family and a place to call home. The old man comes to the café to find solace and with this he says that the café should always remain clean and it is not good to have music playing.
A clean well-lighted place is actually a description of the café that the old man gives. He says that such an environment makes it looks more homely and one can easily find peace and solace inside there. The young waiter however does not understand this concept as for him he has a home and wife at home. To him he is happy and contented that he has a family and still has a future with it. The old waiter however tells him that he cannot predict the future and thus he might need such a place in the future.
The young waiter, old waiter and the old man are different people and they are in different stages of life (Nott, 1961). The young waiter has a home and a wife and he always looks forward to going home and spend a night with his wife. The old man chooses to stay over the night at the café and stay with those who needs light at the café. He gives them company as he knows how it feels to be lonely.
In this story the main theme is nothingness and it affects the behaviour of the characters. The café shows that the bar gives hope and solace to those who feel lonely and a home for them till late hours. The young waiter should emulate the old waiter although he is young and has a job. He should try and create a better place for those who are homeless and need to look for a peaceful place. The age of the young waiter contributes to his behaviour as he does not know what life is about. He is not supposed to insult or be rude to others as he does not know what they have gone through in life and thus contributing to their behaviour.
Work Cited
Nott, Kathleen. A Clean, Well-Lighted Place. A Private View Of Sweden. London, 1961.
“Sparknotes: A Clean, Well-Lighted Place: Study Guide”. Sparknotes.Com, 2020, https://www.sparknotes.com/short-stories/a-clean-well-lighted-place/.