"A Clean Well-Lighted Place" by Ernest Hemingway captures the emotions of alienation and loneliness. Hemingway uses his three characters to show different aspects of these emotions. The dialogue between the two waiters shows how the older waiter is alone and alienated. Finally, the author uses the word "nada" to emphasize the feeling of nothing, alienation, and loneliness.
             Through the characters' views, the feelings of alienation and loneliness are shown. The three characters, a deaf old man, and two waiters all live very different lives. In the very beginning of the story the two waiters are talking about the old man. " Last week he tried to commit suicide." the younger waiter said. The older waiter continues to ask why the younger waiter's reply is that he attempted this over "nothing". Suicide does not happen over nothing. The deaf man is always alone; he is getting old and is very lonely. The naiveness of the younger waiter is what makes them think the old man attempts suicide over nothing. The old man is feeling isolated and alone.
             The two waiters, young and old, both have very different opinions on life. One waiter is young, he has a wife, a job, and life couldn't be better for him. His only problem is that he doesn't like to stay late at work. The older waiter has lived more. He has no wife, no one to look forward to coming home to at night. " You have youth, confidence and a job...I have never had confidence and I am not young...I am one of those who likes to stay late at the cafe...with all those who do not want to go to bed...we are two different kinds." The older waiter tries explaining their differences to the younger man. The older waiter has lived his life; he feels he needs to keep his cafe open in case someone needs it. That is why he does not mind the old man staying late. The young waiter is too busy living his life to understand the feelings of t...