Existential nihilism is the belief that life has no intrinsic meaning or value。 It can stem from scientific analysis showing that only the physical laws contributed to our existence。 “With respect to the universe, a single human or even the entire human species is insignificant, without purpose and unlikely to change in the totality of existence。 Nihilism is a denial of the possibility of knowledge。”(Huber & Wrathall 25) The meaninglessness of life is largely explored in the philosophical school of existentialism。来,自,优.尔:论;文*网www.youerw.com +QQ752018766-

In “A Clean, Well-Lighted Place” the three characters represent that the people hold three different attitudes to nothingness。（Du Analysis 157）In their life, nothingness is everywhere, just as the old man says: “It was all a nothing and a man was nothing too”。 (Hemingway 3)Young waiter represents the people who lives in an empty society also are completely unaware of the emptiness and loneliness in life。 For the young waiter, money is everything while the nothingness is lock of money。 He doesn’t understand that the old man’s despair has none business with wealth。 In his point, the old rich man has no reason to commit suicide。 It is the blind confidence of material and love that reflects his spiritual emptiness and nothingness。 On the contrary, the old man’s loneliness is obvious, although the old man is rich, but his wife has died; although longevous, but already deaf。 He has no intersection with the world around him and he could not find spiritual sustenance to rely on, so he is afraid of the long and lone night after going back home。 The old man chooses to stay in this clean and bright little restaurant to seek for temporary comfort, and escape from darkness and nothingness。 (Du Textual 218) Relatively speaking, the old waiter’s response to nothing is more complicated: it’s not fear or panic but a feeling of unease, a kind of worry about existence。