RESPONSE TO "A CLEAN WELL-LIGHTED PLACE" The old man, who we will call the "Gentleman,"-- to keep the confusion minimal between the old man and the old waiter -- in "A Clean Well-Lighted Place" cannot be happy without his wife. The two waiters represent the Gentleman’s battle of his inner consciousness. The waiters portray the demons of the Gentleman’s personal heaven and hell. We recognize this by Hemingway’s use of characterization. Hemingway never identifies a particular part to the extended dialogue, because ultimately it is one stream of consciousness (the Gentleman’s). This reveals everyt