Blog #2
The setting was definetely at the cafe, and yes it was well lighted. In the story they explained the cafe to be very pleasant. The lighting at night created shadows of leaves against the window. The idea of a well lighted place is so significant to the story because it starts off with two waiters talking about a drunk older man at the cafe. One of the waiters began to complain about him, and how he wants to go home because it was late. The waiter expressed how the old man was drunk and deaf, which i think had alot to do with him wanting to be there. The old man could not hear all he can do is observe by looking around him and finding some place comfortable based on how it looks. The waiters also spoke about how it was not the same if you buy a bottle of liquor and drink it at home, it was better to sit at this well lighted cafe and enjoy your drink. I feel the characters are nameless for various reasons. The first reason is beacuse it gives it an extra kick, it helps you get more involved in the story, you have to pay close attention or you wont know who's talking. And I think that names arent really necessary because it is a short story. As long as each character has an identity such "old drunk man" it wont be hard to comprehend. The connection between the old man and the old waiter is their age, the old waiter sides with the old man probably beacause he knows exactly where he is coming from. He even defends him at one point when he asks the young waiter " Why didnt you let him stay and drink?" The conflict was the old man at the cafe, it was late and he was drunk, one of the waiters wanted to close up. At one point the younger waiter was worried that the old man might get too drunk and not pay. The only drama that intensified was the old man wanting more brandy and the waiter explaing to him that it was finished no more. Im sure the complications that occured in the story was the two waiters not knowing why the old man tried to kill himself. You would think that after hearing the news about the old man trying to commit suicide the younger waiter would back off a little bit, but he didnt. He even took full advantage of him since he was deaf and said things like '' You should have killed yourself last week." At one point in the story they desscribed him talking to the old man the way we would talk to foreigners. The turning point in the story is when the older waiter explains how the younger waiter and himself are very different. The older waiter says he is reluctant to close up every night because there might be someone who needs the cafe. In a way I feel the older waiter needs the cafe just as much as he feels others do, like the old drunk man. I have read over and over the part here he is talking about "nothing." It means so many different things every single time I read it. I think he's trying to explain why the cafe is such a good and pleasant spot to be but he cant. Or it can be him trying to explain the meaning of life. The theme is do not judge a book by its cover. In the very beginning the younger waiter is talking about the old drunk man without even knowing anything about him.
Ernest Hemingway was born July 21, 1899 and passed away July 2, 1961. He was born and raised in oak park, Illinois. He started his career as a writer for a newspaper office in kansas city at the age of seventeen. He also joined a volunteer ambulance unit in the Italian army. Something that relates to him being in an environment where there were soldiers is the soldier walking outside in the story with the girl. Another issue that was a part of his life was the attempt of suicide. He attempted to commit suicide in 1961, this relates to the story because the old drunk man was also a victim of the attempt to kill himself. Around his time there were a lot of male writers, it wasn't very common at all for women to work. This especially relates to the story because he did not use any female characters.
