P.4 “Just Lather, That's All”
Murder is not as simple as it seems. In the short story “Just Lather, That's All” the reader learns that killing is not as easy as it is put out to be. A man that works at a barbershop, is one day faced with a difficult decision. Torres, the captain of rebel-hunting excursions, walks into his shop on a sunny day, requesting a shave from the man (who secretly happens to be a rebel).
As the barber lathers soap onto Torres’ warm neck and slides the blade downward, cleaning off the thick frothy layer of soap, along with hair from the man's beard, he thinks about the position that he is in. At any moment, he could slit the Captain's throat with his sharp, shiny razor in just a matter …show more content…
His thoughts reveal that he personally feels murder will corrupt his soul. All he wants on his hands is soap. Not murder, crime, blood, or guilt. He thinks about his honorary role as a barber, and how he doesn't want to be a murderer. He thinks to himself “You are an executioner and I am only a barber.” As the Captain is leaving, he turns to the barber and says, “they told me that you’d kill me. I came to find out. But killing isn't easy. You can take my word for it.”
This quote reveals that the Captain knew he could have been be killed at any moment by the barber holding a sharp blade to his neck, and that he seemed to have some surety that the man wouldn't kill him, because he personally knew that killing is not as easy as it seems. It also reveals that the Captain does have a personal problem with killing. Despite how careless he may seem about hunting down rebels, it is clear that killing haunts him. Although he talks about his jobs and tasks as though he is proud of them, and that they are simple and easy, the reader now knows that it is difficult for him.
In conclusion, the men both have different principles towards killing and murder and both act on those principles differently. But to some extent, both of the men know that it is wrong and feel guilty about it. This story portrays that killing is not effortless as it may sometimes
Murder is not as simple as it seems. In the short story “Just Lather, That's All” the reader learns that killing is not as easy as it is put out to be. A man that works at a barbershop, is one day faced with a difficult decision. Torres, the captain of rebel-hunting excursions, walks into his shop on a sunny day, requesting a shave from the man (who secretly happens to be a rebel).
As the barber lathers soap onto Torres’ warm neck and slides the blade downward, cleaning off the thick frothy layer of soap, along with hair from the man's beard, he thinks about the position that he is in. At any moment, he could slit the Captain's throat with his sharp, shiny razor in just a matter …show more content…
His thoughts reveal that he personally feels murder will corrupt his soul. All he wants on his hands is soap. Not murder, crime, blood, or guilt. He thinks about his honorary role as a barber, and how he doesn't want to be a murderer. He thinks to himself “You are an executioner and I am only a barber.” As the Captain is leaving, he turns to the barber and says, “they told me that you’d kill me. I came to find out. But killing isn't easy. You can take my word for it.”
This quote reveals that the Captain knew he could have been be killed at any moment by the barber holding a sharp blade to his neck, and that he seemed to have some surety that the man wouldn't kill him, because he personally knew that killing is not as easy as it seems. It also reveals that the Captain does have a personal problem with killing. Despite how careless he may seem about hunting down rebels, it is clear that killing haunts him. Although he talks about his jobs and tasks as though he is proud of them, and that they are simple and easy, the reader now knows that it is difficult for him.
In conclusion, the men both have different principles towards killing and murder and both act on those principles differently. But to some extent, both of the men know that it is wrong and feel guilty about it. This story portrays that killing is not effortless as it may sometimes