In the short story Lather and Nothing Else written by Hernando Tellez, the barber makes the correct decision to spare Captain Torres’ life because he escaped the guilt of having a taken a person’s life, and he avoids the hardships of his entire life being uprooted in a single moment. Although the Captain was a cruel and ruthless executioner, “ No one deserves ... sacrifice that turns other people into murderers” (Tellez, par. 19). The guilt and shame of killing a human are likely to come, and it could have changed the barber’s life, including the fashion in which others viewed him. He would be seen as a murderer, no different from Captain Torres. In addition, his mind would be affected and he would judge himself harshly as well, for he would
