The Café Symbol Analysis

The café symbolizes the small pleasures that, in spite of life’s meaninglessness, make living feel dignified and comfortable. The old waiter and the old drunk both love to sit and drink at the café because it is quiet, and the shadow of its electric lights provides a nice haven under which to relax. In contrast, the young waiter cannot wait to leave the café and head home to his wife; he finds his meaning not in enjoying the present, but rather from external sources of validation, such as his wife. The waiter cannot appreciate the atmosphere of the café—he suggests that the old drunk could leave the café for a dirty bar or bodega, since he could also get drunk in those places, but this misunderstands the pleasure and dignity of the café itself. The young waiter’s goal-oriented outlook is shown to be out of step with the way of life that the café symbolizes, a worldview that recognizes that everything is meaningless except dignity and comfort.