opinionabout,andstatementof,t-PAGEI-opinionabout,andstatementof,thetheme.Moralinferencesdrawnfrommoststories:Moralinferencesmaybedrawnfrommoststories,nodoubt,evenwhenanauthordoesnotintendhis/herstorytobereadthisway.In“AClean,Well-LightedPlace”,wefeelthatHemingwayisindirectlygivingusadviceforproperlyregardingandsympathizingthelonely,theuncertain,andtheold.Butobviouslythestorydoesnotsetforthalessonthatwearesupposedtoputintopractice.Wecansayforsurethat“AClean,Well-LightedPlace”containsseveralthemesandotherstatementscouldbemadetotakeinHemingway’sviewoflove,ofcommunicationbetweenpeople,ofdignity.Greatstories,likegreatsymphonies,frequentlyhavemorethanonetheme.WhenwesaythatthetitleofPrideandPrejudiceconveysthethemeofthenovelorthatUncleTom’sCabinandTheGrapesofWrathtreatthethemesofslaveryandmigratorylaborrespectively,thisistousethemeinalargerandmoreabstractsensethanitisinourdiscussionofHemingway’s“AClean,Well-LightedPlace.”InthislargersenseitisrelativelyeasytosaythatMarkTwain’sHuckleberryFinn,Updike’sA&P,andFaulkner’sBarnBurningconcernthethemeof“initiationintomaturity.”Suchgeneraldescriptionsofthemecanbeuseful,especiallyifwewanttosortalargenumberofstoriesandnovelsintoroughcategories,butthefactthattheyaresimilarinthemedoesnotmeanthattheymeanthesamething.Theattitudetowardsthethememaybeverydifferent:thetoneoftreatmentmaybe,forexample,eithercomicortragic,straightforwardorironic.Thewriter’svisionoflifeisthespecialunderlyingfactofastory,andatheme,abstractlystated,isnotthesamethingasavisionoflife.Andwesuggestanywaythat,inthebeginning,youlookforwhatevertruthorinsightyouthinkthewriterofastoryintendstoreveal.Trytostateathemeinasentence.Bydoingso,wewillfindourselveslookingcloselyatthestory.KennedyandGioiamakeahelpfulsuggestiontoconsiderthefollowingpointswhenwethinkaboutthethemeofastory:Lookbackoncemoreatthetitleofthestory.Whatdoesitindicateinrelationtothewholestory?Doesthemaincharacterinanywaychangeinthestory?Doesthischaracterarriveatanyeventualrealizationorunderstanding?Areyoul