Does one's purpose in life diminish after there is nothing left in life to look forward to? Ernest Hemingway's short story "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place" addresses this question through the character of the older waiter, a man pondering the meaning of life. The older waiter observes the old man and comes to the conclusion that without a motivation to live, one wanders in a world of nothingness.

There are three main characters in "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place," and each represents a different view on the meaning of life. The young waiter naively believes that his life has purpose, in the form of his marriage and job. In contrast to the young waiter, there is the old man who has nothing left to live for. The older waiter plays the part of an unbiased observer who is able to relate to both of these two extremes. As the short...