1a. What does one waiter tell the other the elderly, deaf client tried to do last week?
2a. What reason does the younger waiter give the older waiter for not letting the elderly man stay longer in the café?
3a. What does the older waiter think he lacks?
4a. Identify the characteristics of the café that make it appealing to the older waiter and the elderly, deaf customer.
5a. Which waiter do you find to be a more sympathetic character? Why?
1b. What attitude does the younger waiter express when stating the old man's despair was over "nothing"?
2b. Why does the younger waiter tell the older waiter, "You talk like an old man yourself?"
3b. Why would the older waiter not mind staying another hour at the café?
4b. What feelings do the older waiter and the elderly, deaf client have in common?
5b. The young waiter says, "An old man is a nasty thing." Compare the portrayal of old age in Hemingway's story with that in "The Jilting of Granny Weatherall." What does old age represent to Hemingway and Porter?
Internal Monologue. Read the following passage from the selection. How does the waiter feel about human existence?
It is the light of course but it is necessary that the place be clean and pleasant. . . . What did he fear? It was not fear or dread. It was a nothing that he knew too well. It was all a nothing and a man was nothing too. It was only that and light was all it needed and a certain cleanness and order. . . . Our nada who art in nada, nada be thy name thy kingdom nada. . . .
Characterization and Dialogue. Complete the chart below. On the left, copy dialogue by the younger waiter that reveals aspects of his personality. On the right, explain what aspects of his personality are revealed. One example has been done for you.
1. Imagine that you are the elderly, deaf client. Write a journal entry in which you explain why you enjoy the café you frequent.
2. Imagine that the older waiter went home early and that the younger waiter stayed late at the café. Write a monologue to be performed for your class in which the younger waiter reveals his feelings about life.
3. With a partner, play the roles of the older waiter and the elderly, deaf client. Pass a notebook between yourselves to engage in a dialogue, asking and answering questions.
Radio Advertisement. Write a radio advertisement for the cafe in "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place." Give the cafe a name and describe its best features. Decide what age group to appeal to, and create a slogan appropriate for that age group.
Researching on the Internet. Imagine that you are writing a biography of Ernest Hemingway. Use the Internet to locate places to which you would need to travel to complete your research. One site that you may find useful is the Ernest Hemingway Foundation of Oak Park site at http://www.hemingway.org Write an itinerary listing each location you would need to visit, what you would research there, and the dates you would spend in each location.
Itinerary:
Notes on Places Important to Hemingway:
Sources Used:
