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Nihilism In A Clean Well Light Place Hemingway

396 Words2 Pages
In the short story "A clean, well lighted place", author Ernest Hemingway uses the belief of nihilism to create a feeling of hopelessness among the elder inhabitants of the story. Nihilism is a philosophical doctrine in which one believes that life is meaningless, and this can be interpreted as the rejection of all religions. Towards the end of the story, the old bartender goes on a Spanish-filled rant describing the nothingness of life, and even incorporates a section of the Lord 's prayer into his rant. Lonely and worn, the old bartender refuses to acknowledge a force greater than himself that could give his life meaning and instead chooses to carry the burden of his familiar despair. However, as shown by the old man 's reluctance to
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