28 pages 56 minutes read

Ernest Hemingway

A Clean, Well-Lighted Place

Fiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1926

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Background

Literary Context: Modernism

The Modernist literary movement spanned from the early 1900s until the 1940s and impacted story structures, literary themes, and subject matters. The movement arose at a moment in history that was characterized by rapid change. Industrialization and capitalism were on the rise, and the authors sought to directly address the negative effects of this rapid growth. Additionally, due to the advancements in technology such as automobiles and airplanes, World War I was especially deadly. For the first time, widespread death and destruction became tangible to people back home through technology like radio and photography, which allowed for quick dissemination of news and images from the front lines.

With this, Modernist authors took on themes like confusion, isolation, and disillusionment. In adjusting to the rapidly changing modern world, many found that the constructs they once relied upon, such as religion, could no longer support their beliefs. After witnessing the harsh realities of the industrialized world and the despair and death of war, many people of the time felt a sense of disillusionment with their world. As a result, many experienced alienation as they struggled to grapple with their surroundings.

This sense of isolation and despair permeates “A Clean, Well-Lighted Place;”

blurred text

blurred text

Related Titles

By Ernest Hemingway

Plot Summary
logo

Across the River and into the Trees

Ernest Hemingway

Across the River and into the Trees

Ernest Hemingway

Study Guide
logo

A Day's Wait

Ernest Hemingway

A Day's Wait

Ernest Hemingway

Study Guide
logo

A Farewell to Arms

Ernest Hemingway

A Farewell to Arms

Ernest Hemingway

Study Guide
logo

A Moveable Feast

Ernest Hemingway

A Moveable Feast

Ernest Hemingway

Study Guide
logo

A Very Short Story

Ernest Hemingway

A Very Short Story

Ernest Hemingway

Study Guide
logo

Big Two-Hearted River

Ernest Hemingway

Big Two-Hearted River

Ernest Hemingway

Study Guide
logo

Cat in the Rain

Ernest Hemingway

Cat in the Rain

Ernest Hemingway

Study Guide
logo

For Whom the Bell Tolls

Ernest Hemingway

For Whom the Bell Tolls

Ernest Hemingway

Plot Summary
logo

Green Hills of Africa

Ernest Hemingway

Green Hills of Africa

Ernest Hemingway

STUDY + TEACHING GUIDE
logo

Hills Like White Elephants

Ernest Hemingway

Hills Like White Elephants

Ernest Hemingway

Study Guide
logo

In Another Country

Ernest Hemingway

In Another Country

Ernest Hemingway

Study Guide
logo

Indian Camp

Ernest Hemingway

Indian Camp

Ernest Hemingway

Plot Summary
logo

In Our Time

Ernest Hemingway

In Our Time

Ernest Hemingway

Study Guide
logo

Old Man at the Bridge

Ernest Hemingway

Old Man at the Bridge

Ernest Hemingway

Study Guide
logo

Soldier's Home

Ernest Hemingway

Soldier's Home

Ernest Hemingway

Plot Summary
logo

Solider's Home

Ernest Hemingway

Solider's Home

Ernest Hemingway

Study Guide
logo

Ten Indians

Ernest Hemingway

Ten Indians

Ernest Hemingway

Study Guide
logo

The Garden of Eden

Ernest Hemingway

The Garden of Eden

Ernest Hemingway

Study Guide
logo

The Killers

Ernest Hemingway

The Killers

Ernest Hemingway

Plot Summary
logo

The Nick Adams Stories

Ernest Hemingway

The Nick Adams Stories

Ernest Hemingway