The famous Bob Marley once sang, “Every man gotta right to decide his own destiny.” Marley is saying that a man should be able to make his own choice and not do what others think. This ties into the story “Lather and Nothing Else” written by Hernando Tellez because the barber is in a dilemma on whether or not he should kill an enemy he is shaving. His destiny depends on his choice. The barber, his enemy, and the author's literary device helps develop the theme of making a decision that can be best lived with.
Many decisions are made throughout this short story. The barber is most affected because the infamous Captain Torres, of the opposing regime, walks into his barbershop and asks for a shave. The barber can easily kill the Captain by slitting …show more content…
Lather is constantly mentioned throughout the story. The lather represents a choice for the barber. The barber could have his hands covered “Just with lather, and nothing else” (Tellez 4), or the barber could “stain [his] hands with blood” (4), if the barber slits the Captain's throat he would have his hands covered in blood or he could continue shaving with only lather on his hands. Later in the story the barber chooses “I don’t want to stain my hands with blood. Just with lather, and nothing else.” (4) The barber chose the all he wanted on his hands was lather and nothing else and that he was “only a barber” (4), and not “an executioner” (4), the barber thinks that he is not a murder and that all he should have on his hands is lather since he is only a barber .The barber puts “lather here under the chin, on the Adam’s apple, right near the great vein” (3), the barber could easily kill the captain by “put[ting] a bit more pressure on the blade” (4), because of this the barber would probably have a dilemma on whether or not he should kill the captain even though he was putting lather right next to the great vein. Tellez shows that the lather plays a very important part in the story and how it symbolises a decision. The barber would be having a difficult time making a decision, since he was putting lather right near the great vein and that the lather was reminding him that he is a well respected
Many decisions are made throughout this short story. The barber is most affected because the infamous Captain Torres, of the opposing regime, walks into his barbershop and asks for a shave. The barber can easily kill the Captain by slitting …show more content…
Lather is constantly mentioned throughout the story. The lather represents a choice for the barber. The barber could have his hands covered “Just with lather, and nothing else” (Tellez 4), or the barber could “stain [his] hands with blood” (4), if the barber slits the Captain's throat he would have his hands covered in blood or he could continue shaving with only lather on his hands. Later in the story the barber chooses “I don’t want to stain my hands with blood. Just with lather, and nothing else.” (4) The barber chose the all he wanted on his hands was lather and nothing else and that he was “only a barber” (4), and not “an executioner” (4), the barber thinks that he is not a murder and that all he should have on his hands is lather since he is only a barber .The barber puts “lather here under the chin, on the Adam’s apple, right near the great vein” (3), the barber could easily kill the captain by “put[ting] a bit more pressure on the blade” (4), because of this the barber would probably have a dilemma on whether or not he should kill the captain even though he was putting lather right next to the great vein. Tellez shows that the lather plays a very important part in the story and how it symbolises a decision. The barber would be having a difficult time making a decision, since he was putting lather right near the great vein and that the lather was reminding him that he is a well respected