A Clean, Well-Lighted Place | Hemingway's Modernist Minimalist Narrative
In the following essay, Carol Dell’Amico discusses Hemingway’s short story "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place" within the context of the art movement known as modernism. The story’s aesthetic minimalism is presented as an integral style of this movement.
What stands out about ‘‘A Clean, Well-Lighted Place’’ is its minimalism. Known for simple sentences and simple diction, Hemingway positively outdoes himself in this famous short story. In the most pared down English imaginable, three nameless and unexceptional characters rehearse a brief, nocturnal scene. Thus, this story ostentatiously extols the virtues of the simple. This minimalism is so very dramatic, in fact, one feels that complexity or sophistication is not simply precluded, but actually written against. In writing such stripped-down prose and narrative,...
[The entire page is 1702 words long]
Join eNotes
The above is a free excerpt. Get total access to this content with the:
Summary and Analysis – Themes – Characters – And much more...
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Navigate
Tell a friend about A Clean, Well-Lighted Place at eNotes.
