What different attitudes do the two waiters express about the old man and what factors do you think influence their views and opinions about him?

What different attitudes do the two waiters express about the old man and what factors do you think influence their views and opinions about him?

The younger waiter is impatient because the old man is the last customer and is keeping him from going home to his wife. The older waiter, on the other hand, is more understanding of the old man’s loneliness. As he says to the younger waiter, I am of those who like to stay late at the café . . .

How are the two waiters different in A Clean Well-Lighted Place?

Whereas other people find meaning and comfort in religion, the older waiter dismisses religion as “nada”—nothing. The older waiter finds solace only in clean, well-lit cafés. There, life seems to make sense. The older waiter recognizes himself in the old man and sees his own future.

What do the waiters discuss in A Clean Well-Lighted Place?

Late at night, a deaf old man is the sole patron in a cafe. Nearby, two waiters, one young, the other older, talk about him. When the old man orders another brandy, the young waiter purposely overfills his glass. The waiters speculate about the old man’s recent suicide attempt.

What do the older waiter and the old man seem to have in common and what does the café apparently represent for both of them?

The older waiter understands the need for the café because he and the old man are both lonely people, so he empathizes with him. The café represents them both. Compare the younger waiter and the older waiter in their attitudes toward the old an. While the older waiter seemed to be patient and tolerant of the old man.

What does the old waiter have in common with the old man?

-nothingness could mean out of order, not as clean, or poor lighting. What was the old man struggling with? What do the old man and the old waiter have in common? They both like staying late in cafes and both share loneliness and isolation.

How do the waiters treat the old man in a clean well-lighted place?

Despite the young waiter’s rude behavior to him and despite his own intoxication, the old man is polite and well behaved: He says “thank you” to the rude young man (who does not deserve such courtesy), pays for his drinks, leaves a tip, and walks away “unsteadily but with dignity.”

What function does the old man serve in A Clean Well-Lighted Place?

Hemingway presents him as a representative of all people nearing the end of life, weary and hopeless, but still dignified. The key here is dignity – Hemingway wants us to see that even when life gets you down, you should accept it and try to keep it real.

Why does the older waiter understand the old man’s need for a café What does the café represent for them?

The older waiter understands the need for the café because he and the old man are both lonely people, so he empathizes with him. The café represents them both.

Which waiter was more sympathetic to the old man’s despair?

The older waiter is far more understanding and empathetic than is the younger man. The young waiter shows his ignorance of life and human experience early in the story when he talks about the old man’s recent suicide attempt, saying the old man had no reason to despair because “[h]e has plenty of money.”

What does the older waiter do after the old man has left their café?

When the old man leaves, the waiters close the cafe. The young waiter leaves for home, and the older waiter walks to an all-night cafe where, thinking about the terrible emptiness of the old man’s life which he keenly identifies with, he orders a cup of nada from the waiter.

How does the old man treat the waiter in the restaurant Why?

What is the meaning of the old waiters prayer in A Clean Well-Lighted Place?

nada
The symbol of an empty, meaningless life, emotional darkness, surrounds the old man and the older waiter. They both are victims of fear, inner loneliness, hopelessness, and “nada.” They consider a “clean well-lighted cafe” a refuge from the deserted night.