PAGE-68-rmhousesetamonglargemaples,onagreenlawn,hasanatmosphereofpeace.Herewhatwemeanisthatthehouse,byreasonofthelookofquietnessandbyreasonofanumberofpleasantassociationswehavewiththekindoflifelivedthere,stirsacertainreactioninuswhichwedonotattachtoanysingleincidentorobject,butgenerallytothewholescene.Inthesamewaywemaysaythatthesettingofastorycontributestodefiningitsatmosphere.Forinstance,in“TheTell-TaleHeart,”Poe’ssettingtheactioninanold,dark,summinguptheplot.Athemeisusuallystatedingeneralwords.Anothertrysoundslikethis:“Solitarypeopleneedaorderlyplacewheretheycandrinkwithdignity.”Thatisalittlebetter.WehaveindicatedthatHemingway’sstoryismorethanmerelyaboutanoldmanandtwowaiters.Werememberthatattheendthestoryisentirelyconfinedtotheolderwaiter’sthoughtsandperceptions.Howdoweunderstandhismediationon“nada,”nothingness,whichbearssomuchemphasis?Nogoodstatementofthethemeofthestorycanleaveitout.Thenwehavestillanothertry:“Solitarypeopleneedaplaceofrefugefromtheirterribleawarenessthattheirlife(orperhaps,humanlife)isessentiallymeaningless.”Neitherthisnoranyotherstatementofthestory’sthemeisunarguablyappropriate,butthestatementatleasttouchesoneprimaryideathatHemingwayseemstobedrivingat.Afterweread“AClean,Well-LightedPlace,”wefeelthatthereissuchatheme,aunifyingvision,eventhoughwecannotreduceittoatagandwemaystillvaryinouropinionabout,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.WhenwesaythatthetitleofPrideandPrejudi