In “A Clean, Well Lighted Place,” an old man sits alone at a restaurant. It is late night and closing time for the place. Two waiters, young and old, are talking together, and when the man orders another brandy, the young waiter expresses a desire for him to finish and leave. The older waiter is more understanding of the old man’s plight, but the second time the man orders brandy, the younger waiter tells him the cafe is closed.
The young waiter wants to get home to his wife, but the older waiter understands that sometimes all people need is a clean, well-lighted place to go. The emptiness of his own life makes him feel a kinship with the old man in that he finds himself wanting a place to stay, such as this cafe, in his older age now that youth has left him.
The story explores themes of death, futility, meaninglessness, and depression and most importantly of loneliness.
Image - Two People (The Lonely Ones) (1899) - Edvard Munch
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