"A Clean, Well Lighted Place" by Ernest Hemingway is a short story about two servers in a bar waiting for the last customer of the night to leave. The last customer of the night is a stubborn old man nearing the end of his life. The two waiters in the bar quarrel over what to do with the old man. The old man has recently just attempted suicide and no longer cares about life or shows compassion towards strangers. He sees life as almost over so there is no reason to please anyone else. The younger of the two waiters is a complete opposite to the old man. He sees also shows no compassion towards strangers, but he sees life as revolving around him. Everything he wants has to happen. The older waiter tries to mediate between the younger waiter and the old man. He says that the old man is nearing his end and they should just let him stay and keep drinking as it is their job. The younger man disagrees and believes he has the right to go home to his family. The younger man gets his way and the old man leaves the bar. Through these three characters, three different aspects on the meaning of life are portrayed. The old man represents a pessimistic outlook on life, where one views it as almost over so there is no reason to care about anything or anyone else. The younger waiter represents a self centered approach to life where one only cares about their own necessities and disregards everyone else's. Finally, the older waiter represents an admirable approach where one shows compassion towards everyone and tries his/her best to make the best decision not for themselves but for the greater good.