Which author wrote 'A Clean, Well-Lighted Place'?

• A. Fitzgerald
• B. Hemingway
• C. Twain
• D. Faulkner

Answer: (B)

Identifying the author from a story’s voice and themes is what this item is testing. “A Clean, Well-Lighted Place” is written by Ernest Hemingway. You can hear his signature approach in the spare dialogue and the emphasis on mood and idea over ornate description. The scene unfolds in a quiet cafe late at night with two waiters and an old man, and it opens a larger meditation on loneliness, meaning, and the comfort of a clean, well-lit place. That pared-down style, with depth beneath the surface—often described by the iceberg theory—is a hallmark of Hemingway. In contrast, the other authors are known for different works and styles: Fitzgerald for lush, elaborate Jazz Age prose; Twain for humor and American frontier settings; Faulkner for complex, layered Southern narratives. So the attribution to Hemingway matches the text’s economical language, mood, and existential theme.