A Clean, Well-Lighted Place. I have questions?

Hemingway isn't meant to be understood in the usual manner. He was far deeper than that and often a little boozed up when crafting new creations.

Did I ever tell you about my grandfather's somewhat questionable autobiography where he claims to have walked the streets of Paris with Hemingway pumping him for information on how to become a successful writer?

Yeah, probably didn't; but, now that I did I'm too tired to do your homework.


Read the story over again, notice what the waiters are saying as the soldier
and girl go by, there you will find a clue. Hemingway drops clues everywhere usually in a subtle way....the story was written in the 1920s, this would be a good time for you to crack open that history book and see what life was like at that intersection of time. Yup, more clues in that.

Time is a common theme in many tales, it is your challenge to discover what it means in this case. Think about the mention of consideration of suicide, drunkenness and 'possibly only insomnia', they connect, dwell on it for a short while, the answer will come to you.



(or you could just cheat the old fashioned way and open up your sparknotes...which is available at fine computers everywhere)

Thanks, Sturgis but why would he still reference the solider even though the US didn't have any war at that time and the US was going through the roaring twenties. During which soldiers had money and so did the factory works due to rationing. Women had also being to leave the homes and get jobs. Can you please be a little less vague?

A Clean Well Lighted Place wasn't set in the United States, it took place in Spain and at that time Spain had a military rule, dictatorship, whatever fancy title you'd care to give to it, so there was a fair amount of military presence.

This was all during the 1920s under the rule of Primo de Rivera, do some Internet research or library research on the history of Spain in that time period, it will become clearer why Hemingway had his characters and why they were doing the things which they were doing.

Hemingway did a lot of writing, many times regarding Spain... learn about Spanish history for when you read other Hemingway works, it will be beneficial to you. Actually, learning about where and when a novel or story is set is always a good idea and takes only a few seconds, especially in this modern age of computers and Internet access.

Reread the story, notice you have a subject about life and death and characters at 3 different phases/ages in life, that should help explain the presence of certain characters.



Try reading more Hemingway, it's hard to explain anything about his work when looking at just 1 piece.

Thanks. I over looked the setting.

Wish teachers could teach how to learn as well as you do it.
OK some can.