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TheInspirationfromAClean,Well-LightedPlaceClass6StudentNo.20114590NameWangHongIreadthisshortstoryonmyintensivereadingcourselastweek.Actually,IhavetoadmitthatitwasthefirsttimeIknewthisgreatwriter,ErnestHemingway.IhadeverlookedthroughhisnovelettenamedTheOldManandtheSea.ItisatranslatedcopyinChinese.AtthattimeIdidthinkHemingwaywasnotaqualifiedwriter.Afterfinishingaboutaquarterofthebook,whatIallhadinmindwereanoldman'sfinishingdaysanddailytrifles.However,AClean,Well-LightedPlaceshowedmeaneligiblenovelist.Thestoryisfairlyshort,whichonlytakesme5piecesofA4paperstogetitallprinted.Butifyouhadeverreadit,youmightfinditattractive.ThestoryhappenedafterWorldWarIIinAmerica.Itdescribesausualthinginacafe.Anoldmansatlate.Thereweretwowaiterschattingabouthim.Aftertheoldmanwasforcedtogohome,twowaiterswereoffduty.Theyoungeronewenthome.Then,theelderoneclosedthecafeandwenttoabar.Heorderedacupofcoffeeandtalkedtothebarman.Thecoffeefinished,theelderwaiterwenthomeandwasininsomnia.Thatisthewholestory.Itissimple.Here,Iwouldliketoshowyouhowitmovedme.Accordingtotheconservationbetweenthetwowaiters,theoldmanisabout80yearsold,clean,rich,butdeaf.Heoncehadawife,buthisniecelookedafterhim.Itwashisniecewhosavedhimfromcommittingsuicide.WhenIreaduponthere,whatconfusedmemostwaswhytheoldmanwantedtokillhimselfwhenheownedalotfortune.Then,Irecognizedithappenedinahardtime.Theinflectionofthewarmadetheoldmanbecameindespair.Hesawpeople'sdeathandhowcruelthewarwas.Iwasthinkingthatmaybehiswifewaskilledbecauseofwar.Forinstance,maybehisdeafearswerecausedbythewar.Sodidhisfortune.Helikedtositintheshadowtheleavesofthetreemadeagainsttheelectriclight,whichmadehimfeelsafe.Moreover,hewouldratherstayinthecafethanstopdrinkingbrandytogohomeatnight.Inmymind,familyisaplacewhereyoucanfindwarmth,truelove,andcarefulness.Itseemsthattheoldmanwasunwillingtogotohisrichhouse.Deepdown,hemaybealittlebitafraidofhisfamily.Iamsympathetictowardshim.Poormanhetrulyis,Ithink.Ontheotherhand,Iwanttoshowmyopinionsuponthetwowaiters.Theyoungerwaiter,comparingwiththeelderandtheoldman,seemsneversufferfromanydisasters.Hecomplainedthattheeldmanmadehimworkthatlate.Even,hesaidtothedeafman,Youshouldhavekilledyourselflastweek.Hedidnotserveanothercupofbrandyastheoldmanasked.Eventhough,itdidnotsatisfyhim.Heurgedtheoldmantogohomesothathecouldbeoffdutyearlier.Youmaysaythatitisunderstandableforayoungmantodoandspeakinthatimpolitestyle.Iagree.Heisatypicalmaninapeacefulworld.Lackingacknowledgesandexperience,theyoungarealwayssoactive,creative,andfearless.Theyknowlittleaboutdeathorthedirtypartoftheworld.However,theelderwaiterisdifferent.Honestly,heactedasapersonwhosecharacterisacombinationoftheoldmanandtheyoungerwaiter.Itwashimwholinkedupthewholestory.Also,becauseofhisappearance,painbroughtbythewarturnedup.Itiseasytofindthatheistheheroofthisstory.Frommypointofview,heisalsooneoftheLostGenerationatthattime.WhenErnestHemingwaywascreatingtheelderwaiter,hemighthavemixedupwithhisownpersonalities.Sincetheoldmanshouldhaveenjoyedhisbrandyalittlebitmore,theelderwaiterfeltpitifulforhim.Fromhiswords,Ithinkhewasamaningoodmanners.But,heownedapoorspiritualworld.Ifeelthathedidnothaveanygoalsordreams.Whathedideverydaywasservingasawaiter.Heevendidnotexpectawife.Hisinsomnia,certainly,isakindofsickness,whichcanbecured.Still,heconsidereditas“Manymusthaveit”.Thatisnegativeandsorrowful.Amanshouldnotbelikethat.Moreover,thereisalongparagraphwritingabouthisself-thinking.ItissomethinginBible.But,allthenounswerereplacedwith“nada”whichmeansnothing.AsweallknowthatregionsinEuropeancountrieshaveasignificantimpactontheirpeople.Peoplerespecttheirgods.Onlyiftheirgodsarehelplessinfact,theywillnottreattheirgodsas“nada”,Ithink.Thechaptershowedmethatgodwasnotbeingbelievedduringthatperiodoftime.Somethingchanged.“AClean,Well-LightedPlace”,thetitle,youmaynowunderstanditsmeaning.Thewholestorysimplydescribesawaiter’snight.Itrevealsthewarhurtpeople’sspiritualcivilization.Theoldgenerationhaslosthopesforthefuture,but,theyounggenerationisstillfreshandenthusiastic.Hemingwaylivinginthisperiodsawthechangesanddevelopment;fortunately,hewrotethemdowninhisownway.Irespecthimsincerely.Fromthisshortstory,Isawadevelopingworldasitalwaysis.Althoughwemaymeetwithadisasterlikeawar,mostoftimeweenjoyedourlifehappilyandpeacefully.Wemaylooseourfaithsometimes.Ifhappened,donotbeafraid.Whatweneedtodoisjusttofindit,carryitonandkeepmoving.Hemingwayremindsmeofsomeotherwriters,SanMao,BoYang,andQiJinnian.Theyareallmyfavoritewriters.Theyshareasameattitudetowardslifeandtheworld.Intheireyes,theworldshouldbeappreciated,nomatterhowbadthepeoplearoundyouareorthesocietyappears.Theyspreadtheirhopesforthefutureamongtheyoung.Theyencouragefromtheheart.Inmyopinion,“AClean,Well-LightedPlace”isalightinourhearts.Itcanguideusfrombirthtodeath.Powerfulitis.Believethateverythingwillturnbetter.Weenjoythelife.