The Diner Clock Symbol Analysis

Hemingway uses the diner clock (which runs twenty minutes fast) to symbolize the unreliability of expectations in an unpredictable world. This is especially true for Max and Al, who enter the diner with a seemingly straightforward plan to get dinner and then carry out a hit on Ole Andreson when he comes in. The clock itself becomes a source of frustration when George—the manager and the only one who can accurately read the clock—tells them that they are reading it wrong because it runs fast, meaning they cannot order the dinner they planned on having. The unreliability of the clock reflects the unreliability of Max and Al’s plan, which hinges on the expectation that Ole will come into the diner for dinner at 6:00. As the manager, George knows that Ole only comes in at 6:00 “sometimes,” and he tries to alert Max and Al to this potentially fatal flaw in their plan by reiterating that Ole will only come into the diner at 6:00 “if” he comes at all. However, Max and Al stick to their ill-advised plan and wait for Ole. George is able to use Max and Al’s misguided expectations about Ole’s behavior and the unreliability of the clock to convince the two men that it was too late for Ole to come in, causing them to admit failure and leave the diner. Correctly reading the diner clock requires experience and knowledge of the clock’s unreliability (being 20 minutes fast), just as developing a reliable expectation of human behavior requires a certain amount of knowledge and experience.