Lather or Nothing Else
Investigate, Inquire, and Imagine
Section A Copy all questions into journal and answer.
Recall
1a. Describe Torres's entrance into the barber shop. Describe the barber's reaction to
Torres's entrance.
2a. When did the narrator last cross paths with Torres? What kept him from looking at
Torres's face then?
3a. What does the narrator say about his fate?
Interpret
1b. What might these details reveal about each character?
2b. How is the narrator's confrontation in the barber shop with Torres different from the
last time they crossed paths?
3b. What do you think he means by this?
Analyze
4a. Identify the relationship that exists between the narrator and Captain Torres. How
are their occupations compared and contrasted in the selection?
Synthesize
4b. What is Captain Torres's real purpose in coming to the narrator for a shave? What
does this reveal about his character? What does Torres admit at the end of the story?
What does this reveal about his character?
Evaluate
5a. To what extent is each of the characters at the mercy of the other?
Extend
5b. Do you think the use of violence to bring about political change can be justified? If
so, at what point does political violence cease to be justified? If not, how can political
change be brought about if the party in power will not allow compromises?
.
Lather or Nothing Else
Understanding Literature (Copy in journal and answer.)
1. Narrator and Point of View. Which passages in the selection reveal the narrator's
love of his work as a barber? Which passages reveal his dedication to the
revolution? How would the story be different if told from a third-person point of
view? if Torres were the narrator?
2. Setting and Mood. What kind of mood does the scene in the barber shop create
for the reader? Identify specific details that contribute to creating this mood.
Writer's Journal (Answer # 1 , and choose either #2 or #3 in journal)
1. Hyperbole is exaggeration for literary effect. Téllez uses an example of hyperbole in
his description of the stream of blood flowing out the door and into the street. Write
your own example of hyperbole.
2. Write a descriptive paragraph that describes an approaching storm. To create a
mood of anticipation or foreboding, provide concrete details that describe the sights,
sounds, and smells that signal the storm.
3. "Lather and Nothing Else" provides the reader with a detailed description of each
step the barber takes in shaving Torres's beard. Write step-by-step instructions for a
task you perform frequently or well so that someone who has never performed that
task will know how to proceed.
Skill Builders
Language, Grammar, and Style
Finding the complete Subject and Verb. To find meaning in a sentence, you need to break it into parts.
The two most basic sentence units are the complete subject and the complete predicate.
Complete Subject = All words that tell who up until the verb.
Copy this box into Journal.
Complete Predicate (verb) = All words following the action (Be) verb.
Example The popular [girls] {treated} Rachel badly.
Evaluate each sentence below. If a sentence demonstrates parallelism, identify the words that create
that parallelism. If a sentence does not achieve parallelism, rewrite it to achieve parallelism.
Lather or Nothing Else
1. Torres was silent; the barber was nervous; the atmosphere was tense.
2. Torres is intelligent, ruthless, and has a good deal of confidence.
3. He took up the razor, opened the handle, and started to work.
4. Patiently, the barber lathered his face; dutifully, he took up the razor, and with great nervousness, he
shaved his beard.
5. While shaving Torres, the barber thought about killing him; after debating the consequences, he
decided against murder.