The title made me try to read this story.
The summary of this story like next- at late night only an old man sat in the café who having many money, but recently tried to suicide. Two waiter, one wanted to go home because wife waiting him, so urged him please go back earlier, the others who was more old said when one waiter accomplished the success of made an old man go back “Why didn’t you let him stay and drink?” adds “each night I am reluctant to close up because there may be some one who needs the café, one need a light for the night… I don’t bar open all night, I only like this clean and pleasant café.”. Furthermore an old waiter went to the bar but noticed the bar is unpolished, so when the waiter in the bar asked him “You want another coptia” said back him “No, thank you, I like a clean, well-lighted café.”.
In this story two man out, have the similarity the characteristic need light at night, I had thought the older man would not became like that, because I had the image the older man sleep fast. So one want to sleep fast, but the others want to sleep late. The character of this story who killed oneself recently, I feel looks alike atmosphere Swede’s man in “The killers” in the meaning of didn’t know why they want to kill oneself. I got the sentiment of an old man who said a café need the quiet and the clean, needn’t music. But a scene old man saying everything was nada in many times, I’m not got so extremely.
Bibliography
Irving Howe and Ilana Wiener Howe., (1983), Short Shorts: An anthology of the shortest stories: New York.
(尾上政次・早川浩訳、『対訳ヘミングウェイ1』、南雲堂、1981年)
