In Ernest Hemingway's "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place," the central idea of the story deals with the loneliness and despair associated with old age. An old and deaf man symbolizes this feeling, even though he does not quite say a dozen words in the course of the story. The discussions between the two waiters further develop this concept of loneliness. With a young waiter portraying the optimistic role of youthful human nature, that which believes itself both immortal and never alone; conversely, an older waiter is at the opposite pole, with a belief in an inevitable mortality and a terrible feeling of loneliness and despair. This conviction is apparent in the elder waiter's preoccupation with nada or nothing, through which Hemingway tries to impress upon the reader that man's inevitable fate is to enter into nothingness from nothingness, for life is nothing. The old man in the story sought merely to enjoy a drink in the company of a clean, well-lighted place. Even though it is apparent he is comfortably set with his finances; the old man had attempted to commit suicide by hanging himself. The young waiter, who figures that "he's lonely," surmises the reason for the attempted suicide to which the older waiter replies, "he might be better with a wife." The loneliness and despair of the old man is largely a fault of his own; because he chose to see the darkness instead of the light, he chose to look upon death instead of life. The younger waiter believes that even a "wife would be no good to him now." The young waiter is the impatient type and even becomes angry with the old man, wishing that "he should have killed himself last week." Refusing to serve the old man another drink, the young waiter instead tells him to leave. The young waiter is eager to get home to his wife and, busily sets out to close the shop. The old man slowly gets up and leaves, walking with dignity even though he has been thrown out of the cafe,...