In “A Clean, Well-Lighted Place,” the older waiter is the protagonist. Initially, there is little marked difference between the two waiters, but as the story progresses, the reader is presented with two different words associated with the older waiter: unhurried and old. In this sense, he is not unlike the old man in the café whom the waiters are discussing, and the younger waiter tells him, “You talk like an old man yourself” (290).

As the story progresses, it becomes evident that the older waiter is like the old man in other ways as well. He confesses to the younger waiter, “I am one of those who like to stay late at the café” (290), creating a direct connection between himself and the old man. The older waiter empathizes with the older man’s desire to stay and drink and rebukes his coworker for kicking him out; however, he does not stop him from doing so or rebuke him for speaking rudely to the old man earlier. While he is empathetic, he is also passive.

The older waiter understands the value of a clean, well-lighted place, noting that some people need the café and admitting that he, too, needs solace.