The tone
of "" by American writer
is a matter-of-fact, direct tone. It is an unbiased reporting by Hemingway of this story stored
in his mind, as if it was a real incident and he was relaying Just the facts maam. (With
apologies to Jack Webb on the TV series Dragnet).
Hemingway is reporting,
dryly and without emotion, a moment in time in a caf© one night. The tone is almost deadpan, as
if told by a poker player with a straight face not wanting to reveal anything, especially
emotion or any sense of real concern.
The style of "A Clean,
Well-Lighted Place" is one of unembellished discourse. It is a factual account of what is
happening in this clean caf©. It does not mean that this is a true account, though.
Hemingway, through the eyes of the two waiters is giving a factual account of what is
happening in the moment in the cafe. Nevertheless, do the waiters really know the whole truth
about this old man? Do they really know the truth of his life and what brought him to this
point? Do they really understand his life with his niece? Do they know for sure what caused this
old man to try and kill himself?
This unadorned style of writing makes the
reader concentrate on the heart of the story. There is no flowery language to distract the
reader from the harshness of this story. The harshness is the way the old man is confronting and
dealing with old age €“ all its challenges in what can be a very cruel world.
Furthermore, this plain style mimics the austereness of this simple caf© on a dusty
street. The austere writing also mimics the stark reality of a man in his eighties having to
drink alone in some caf©/bar and having to stumble home somewhat after hes imbibed too
much.
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