Answers to questions for im-depth analysis :

1.

The story is entitled A Clean, Well-lighted Place to emphasize exactly what it

symbolizes a pleasant, decent place to sit down, like a sort of temporary sanctuary or
safe refuge, where one can simply relax and avoid thinking about ones problems and
frustrations in life.

2. The old man and old waiter want to stay inside the caf longer because both are similar
they both suffer from loneliness in life. In contrast, the younger waiter is not lonely and is
eager to go home where his wife is waiting for him.
3.

Each night I am reluctant to close up because there may be someone who needs the
caf. This quotation from the old waiter shows that he realizes the important role of the
caf to serve as a place for people who are struggling with loneliness to at least
temporarily forget their despair.

4. As mentioned in # 1 above, the caf symbolizes a pleasant, decent place to sit down, like
a sort of temporary sanctuary or safe refuge, where one can simply relax and avoid
thinking about ones problems and frustrations in life.
5. During the final years of their lives, old people have to deal with many issues like poor
health, illnesses, financial burdens, family differences, loneliness and depression. They
tend to be more aware about their mortality.
6. The word it is used here in the story as a pronoun to refer to the idea of nothingness.
7. The Spanish word Nada means nothing. So when the old waiter uses the word Nada to
substitute certain words of the Lords Prayer, he is showing that he believes that there is
nothing in life and there is no purpose in prayer or religion. In existentialism, it is the
philosophical belief that human life does not have a meaning or purpose, but we exist
simply because of the actions or choices we make from our own free will.
8. No, I do not believe that life is meaningless. Since birth, our family, school and religion
has raised us with the basic foundation that we all have a purpose-driven life.
9. People may often feel that their lives are hopeless and meaningless whenever they
experience unfortunate or unpleasant events. Certainly I have felt the same way before,
especially when things dont turn out the way I planned. But inspite of this, I never lost
hope and faith.
10.My bedroom at home serves as my clean, well-lighted place. It is where I am able to
meditate and organize my thoughts and plans at the beginning and end of each day.
11.As a Lasallian, in order to attain a meaningful life, we must always remember what our
Christian religion teaches us that all people were created for a purpose, we were made
for a mission. For me, this is truly what really matters the most.

Tyrone Borja

English

# 4 Gr. 9 J

February 2016
Mr. Louie Mendoza

A Clean, Well-lighted Place

My answers to the Guide Questions.
Answers to the Questions for Noting Details :
1. Setting of this story Is a public caf, during one late evening. The tone of the setting is
relaxed and peaceful.
2.

Characters
Old Man : an elderly deaf man who is a frequent customer at the caf and is well-known by
the waiters with a sad past and as someone who doesnt pay whenever he gets drunk.
Young Waiter : an impatient and somewhat immature character who seems to always be in
a hurry to get home to his wife and tends to be sarcastic towards the old man.
Old Waiter : also an elderly character who is accommodating towards his customers and
relates himself to the old man because he likes to stay-up late and is lonely.

3. Brief Summary : Story begins at a caf, late one evening, with the above three characters
present. Conversation is primarily between the two waiters who talk about the old mans
unfortunate past history and his perennial drinking habits. The younger waiter expresses
his eagerness to close the caf for the night so that he could go home to his waiting wife,
and his reluctance to serve more drinks to the old man. The older waiter, in contrast,
expresses his preference to keep the caf open to accommodate anybody who needs to
come in.

4. Comparison of characters:
The old man and the young waiter are at opposite extremes; one is depressed and seems
tired at life, while the other is energetic but impatient.
The old waiter and the young waiter both have different outlooks. The old waiter is lonely
and prefers to stay up late because of his insomnia. The younger waiter is always in a
hurry to go home and looks forward to life.
Old man and the old waiter are similar to each other they find sanctuary in the well-lit
caf as a relief to their common problems of loneliness and despair.

5. The old man and old waiter want to stay inside the caf longer because both are similar
they both suffer from loneliness in life. In contrast, the younger waiter is not lonely and is
eager to go home where his wife is waiting for him.
6.

Each night I am reluctant to close up because there may be someone who needs the
caf. This quotation from the old waiter shows that he realizes the important role of the
caf to serve as a place for people who are struggling with loneliness to at least
temporarily forget their despair.

7. As mentioned in # 1 above, the caf symbolizes a pleasant, decent place to sit down, like
a sort of temporary sanctuary or safe refuge, where one can simply relax and avoid
thinking about ones problems and frustrations in life.
8. During the final years of their lives, old people have to deal with many issues like poor
health, illnesses, financial burdens, family differences, loneliness and depression. They
tend to be more aware about their mortality.
9. The word it is used here in the story as a pronoun to refer to the idea of nothingness.
10.The Spanish word Nada means nothing. So when the old waiter uses the word Nada to
substitute certain words of the Lords Prayer, he is showing that he believes that there is
nothing in life and there is no purpose in prayer or religion. In existentialism, it is the
philosophical belief that human life does not have a meaning or purpose, but we exist
simply because of the actions or choices we make from our own free will.
11.No, I do not believe that life is meaningless. Since birth, our family, school and religion
has raised us with the basic foundation that we all have a purpose-driven life.
12.People may often feel that their lives are hopeless and meaningless whenever they
experience unfortunate or unpleasant events. Certainly I have felt the same way before,
especially when things dont turn out the way I planned. But inspite of this, I never lost
hope and faith.
13.My bedroom at home serves as my clean, well-lighted place. It is where I am able to
meditate and organize my thoughts and plans at the beginning and end of each day.
14.As a Lasallian, in order to attain a meaningful life, we must always remember what our
Christian religion teaches us that all people were created for a purpose, we were made
for a mission. For me, this is truly what really matters the most.