The desperate longing for dignity in

1、The desperate longing for dignity in “A Clean, Well-Lighted Place" Hemingways short story “A Clean, Well-Lighted Place” intensely describes the desperate despair, loneliness, solitude and emptiness as well as the screaming longing for self-value, spiritual serenity, safety and above all for dig

2、nity. And Hemingway displays this emotional desire in many different aspects.Firstly, the cafe is the only shelter for the old man and the old waiter to get rid of all the annoying things in the world and to maintain their dignity. In a world of dust, the main character- the old man like to sit in t

3、he café (an idealized space) which symbolizes a clean, good lighting, sense of order and clarity world, whereas the real day life is filled with dust which means confusing, darkness and death. The café is so different, thus it begins to serve as a natural shelter for the old man to escape

4、from the loneliness, despair and emptiness.“I am of those who like to stay late at the cafe with all those who need a light in the night.” In this sentence the old waiters meaning is obvious: although life and man are nothing, light, cleanliness, and order can save and secure humans dignity. They ca

5、n help drive off the despair that comes from the feeling of insecurity and dread that can creep in at night. As long as a clean, well-lighted café exists, despair can be got rid off. In a sense, the routine café-sitting and drinking help them deal with despair because it makes life predict

6、able. Routine is something they can control and manage, unlike the vast nothingness that surrounds them. Secondly, all the sufferings of the old man and old waiter are the evidences of their screaming desires for dignity to find their self-value as human-being.The old man is loneliness, solitude; he

7、 has nobody to company him; he is old, weak and deaf; he is tolerance but gentleman like; he is full of dignity. But he has no choice but to sit in the shadows of leaves against the light till late into the night to maintain his dignity. And once he even tried to suicide himself for nothing but fear

8、 of his soul. In this sense, suicide is the only access to escape from losing his dignity and ending all the sufferings. Even when he is over-drunk, be overwhelmed with despair and cant walk steadily, but with dignity he steps into the total darkness. Thus, it seems that he regards his dignity as li

9、fe-importance, even when he has to suffer a lot to keep his dignity but he just does it.Just like the old man, the old waiter also suffers a lot- insomnia. Suicide and insomnia are the two external themes. The old man tries to suicide himself because he lacks the confidence of life and suffers a lot

10、 of emptiness. While the old waiter is insomnia at night when he is alone at home because he is filled with anxiety, worry, and despair. They two are the main characters that reflect the theme of the short story. They are eager to establish their dignity.Thirdly, the universal nihilism-nothingness,

11、as the opposite argument, demonstrates the vast spiritual emptiness and the virtually non-existence which convey the theme that men have to secure dignity while suffering the oppressive nothingness. "nada y pues nada y pues nada" Here Hemingway indicates that religion, to which many people

12、 turn to find meaning and purpose, is also just nothingness. Nothingness and then nothingness again-a vast world of nothingness. Perhaps, the only way out is wiping out both God and the idea of heaven to establish humans dignity."After all . it is probably only insomnia. Many must have it"

13、 Basically, the older waiter tries sorrowfully to brush off his profound dissatisfaction with the world around him, dismissing it as "only insomnia". And he reasons with himself by thinking that "many must have it" which means many people in the world must suffer from the vague s

14、ense of nothingness that plagues him. Here Hemingway's points out that man will end up in the same place of spiritual "insomnia," unable to make sense of a senseless world.The Nothing is a relentless desperation, unbroken by joy or sorrow. It is unending emptiness without comfort or co

15、mpanionship of man or God. It is the senselessness of each heart-beat. The old man's loneliness is empty. The emptiness of a life without meaningful values is nothing, and this nothing afflicts the old man powerfully. The only escape from this nothing is the desperate seeking for the dignity in a vast world of nothingness.