In this short story by Ernest Hemingway, two waiters discuss the case of a regular customer who comes reguarly to their bar and prevents them from being able to go home. The dialogue opens with the conflict: the man has recently attempted suicide. Notice how the entire story unfolds from what is said between the two waiters, in particular the waiter we end with who recognizes that this “clean, well lighted place” maybe the one thing that gives meaning to the old man’s life.
To read about Ernest Hemingway and his tumultuous life of fame, ego, and remarkable talent (he won the Pulitzer and the Nobel Prize for Literature), you can start with this Wikipedia page: Ernest Hemingway.
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