AMSBE - semináře-poznámky

Ernest Hemingway – A Clean, Well-Lighted Place

• Typical text for lost generation

• Light = in spiritual sense

• Deaf man – might have connection with war – many veterans had problem with ears or had psychological problem – they couldn’t stand noise

• He wanted to commit suicide – he had psychological problem, maybe had depression

• Ironical text – even if he has money, he is depressed, money can’t buy him happiness, he is alone, he wants company

• Café is empty

• Reference to war – A girl and a soldier went by in the street.

• The old man doesn’t speak much, he makes signs → problem with communication

• The younger waiter wants to go home, he is mean, rude

• The old man doesn’t care that the waiter is rude to him

• The waiter is careless

• Prolepsis – at the beginning there is a soldier with a girl (probably going somewhere to have sex) and then later the young waiter wants to go home to have sex with his wife

• Saucer = podšálek

• Half a peseta tip = it is in Spain → inspiration by Hemingway’s life in Spain, by Civil war in Spain

• Drinking at home alone is depressive, not the same as in a pub where you can meet some people

• The old waiter asks the younger waiter if he isn’t afraid to come home earlier from work and find his wife with another man – ironical

• The old waiter sympathize with the old man

• Those who need a light for the night – light in the life, support

• The café is clean, pleasant, well lighted

• Feeling that nothing matters, life has no meaning, life is chaotic, it has no order → typical for lost generation

• Ironical reference to a religious prayer – Our nada who art in nada, nada be thy name thy kingdom nada thy will be nada in nada as it is in nada. … - to show that this character doesn’t find any meaning in prayers.

• The old waiter needs also company, he can’t sleep.

Ernest Hemingway – Indian Camp

• Indian Camp – space where whites don’t live and don’t belong

• The two Indians stood waiting. – “the” is weird because we mentioned them for the first time

• Uncle George was smoking – people smoke when they are nervous

• Her screams are not important. – doctor isn’t distracted by screams

• Young Indian who had rowed Uncle George over laughed at him.

• She was quiet now and her eyes were closed. She looked very pale. She did not know what had become of the baby – she should know what happened to the baby.

• The doctor is feeling very proud

• Ought to have a look at the proud father – ironical because the father is dead

• He felt guilty that the woman had to go through such a pain? Maybe

• Uncle George disappears – suggestion that George might have a connection with the Indians – maybe he is a father of the baby

• He felt quite sure that he would never die. – he just experienced death, but he was sure that he wouldn’t commit suicide, maybe it is irony, Nick is young, full of energy

→ His texts are about reading between lines – he was journalist, he wrote short articles, he could get to the point easily, he wrote in a simple way