Lather and Nothing Else
Prepared by M. MacDonald BJH
Is the first-person point of view an effective choice for this story? Why? Why
not? Use evidence from the text to support your response. (Hint: What does the
first-person point of view reveal about the narrator?)
Topic sentence:

It’s an effective choice because:

First person helps the author to create a surprise
ending.
Supporting Details

The narrator’s knowledge is limited.

So the reader is also limited to what the narrator tells.

The reader is led to believe that Captain Torres is
unaware that the barber is his enemy.

This new information at the end of the story creates
surprise and situational irony when Captain Torres tells the
barber that he wanted to know if he would kill him.
Conclusion

The narrator and reader both realize that Torres knew the
barber was a rebel and an enemy.

The use of 1st person narration in this story is similar to Shirley
Jackson’s Charles
How does the author want us to feel about Captain Torres? Use evidence from the
text to support your description of Torres.
Topic Sentence
 By describing Captain Torres in a negative way,
the reader would expect the barber to kill his
enemy.
Supporting Details

We see the Captain brag about executing the
rebels.

The description of his brutality to the rebel
soldiers.

The reader is manipulated to favour the idea of
killing the captain.
Conclusion

This helps create more suspense and sets up
the surprise ending. The reader’s expect the
barber to kill Captain Torres.
Capturing Attention

The barber’s reaction to his
latest customer Captain
Torres.

“I started to shake. But he
did not notice. To cover my
nervousness, I went on
honing the razor.”

The reader is curious about
this customer and they also
feel the tension
experienced by the barber.
Creating Suspense

We don’t know what
the barber is going to
do?

We continue reading to
find out how the barber
is going to resolve his
inner conflict.

We he kill the captain
or let him go.
Describing Setting
Setting

Hot day adds to the discomfort of
the scene and the discomfort
experienced by the barber.

Everyone is sweating and this adds to
the tension in the room is based on
the barber’s description of the scene.

The details of the shave (sounds of the
blade cutting the beard)

The barber shop: the up close and
personal nature of a barber’s job all
add tension and suspense to the story.
Creating Atmosphere

The internal conflict (person versus
self) of the barber.

The anticipated (expected) reaction of
his friends to his decision.

The negative description of Captain
Torres.

The internal conflict, the peer
pressure, the negative description,
all create a tense and suspenseful
atmosphere

The descriptive details all seem to
reasonably support the killing of
the Captain.
What is the main conflict in this story? Was it resolved? Why or why not? Based on the barber’s
actions is there a message (theme) for the reader? Explain. Hint: Did the barber do the right thing?
Topic Sentence Person versus Self

There is no conflict between Captain Torres and the barber
during the first reading of this story.

The barber has to make a decision to either kill the captain or let him
go.

He thinks of all the possible outcomes of killing the captain.
Resolved

The Barber decides not to kill Captain Torres.

The ending is a surprise when the reader finds out that the captain was
testing the barber—he knew the barber was an enemy. (Situational
irony—an unexpected event)
Conclusion

It may have been a wise decision not kill the Captain because he now
has a chance to run away and perhaps save his family.

It wasn’t a wise decision because he now has to face the fact that he
could have gotten justice for the men Captain Torres executed and
now he must either run or fight.

It’s doesn’t matter Captain Torres knew he was the enemy and now he
must either escape or face the captain in a final showdown.
Write an epilogue from the perspective of either the barber or Captain Torres.
Consider how the character would feel about what happened in the barber shop
that day. Would the character have any regrets, or wish that another course of
action had been taken? Would the character have changed after the experience?

Answers will vary

The epilogue should comment on a
possible to conclusion of the story.

The narrator must decide what he
is going to do about Captain
Torres.

Does he escape with his family?
Does he leave alone? What about
his wife and son?
Does he stay and come with a
surprise attack?
 Is he successful?
