"A Clean, Well-Lighted Place" and Effective Writing Response

Ernest Hemingway has been quoted saying, “the most essential gift for a good writer is a built-in, shock-proof, shit detector. This is the writer's radar and all great writers have had it.” This seemingly humorous quote is actually a serious explanation of how writers must avoid futile phrases, while still making their points clear. Hemingway takes his own advice in his short story, “A Clean, Well-Lighted Place,” showing just how powerful words can be.

           

In the quote mentioned above, the “shit detector” Hemingway refers to is a writer’s ability to avoid nonsensical words and phrases that do nothing to improve his/her writing. When words like “very” and “really” are misused, they simply encumber a piece and distract the reader from the author’s purpose. Hemingway proves his exemplary “radar” when he writes, “What did he fear or dread? It was not fear or dread. It was a nothing that he knew too well. It was all a nothing and a man was a nothing too” (Hemingway 48). Hemingway does not clutter his writing with ineffective language, nor does he substitute his main points with long confusing synonyms. This excerpt is written in an elegant way that is still easy to read and understand. It is clear that this character fears oblivion and emptiness in all aspects of his life, and Hemingway did not need to fluff his writing with insignificant filler to make this point any more clear or eloquent.

           

Hemingway’s ability to easily convey his point is the other skill a writer must possess to be successful. A common motif in “A Clean, Well-Lighted Place” is an inability to deal with sadness and grief. This idea is brought up time and time again with various characters as the story progresses, but is highlighted at the very end when Hemingway writes, “After all, he said to himself, it is probably only insomnia. Many must have it” (Hemingway 48). This summarizes the motif effectively in an efficient manner. The older waiter is struggling with these feelings of despair, and rather than dealing with them, he simply justifies them by saying he is just tired, and that many think the way he does.

           

These two skills are paramount to the success of a writer. Hemingway not only believes this, but also demonstrates it in his work. This short story shows that concision is superior to verbosity and comprehensibility is more important than flare.