Lather and Nothing Else

“Through the schoolyard to look upon the four rebels hanging there, my path had crossed his briefly. But the sight of those mutilated bodies kept me from paying attention to the face of the man who had been directing it all and whom I now had in my hands.”

The descriptions of those who were publicly executed at Captain Torres’s hands provide a detail that helps to explain why the barber would consider murdering him. The details of the murder are grotesque and vivid, carried out at the hands of a violent regime.

“I paused to wipe it clean, and taking up the strop once more went about improving its edge, for I am a painstaking barber.”

The self-reflection about the barber’s profession helps readers understand his characterization. As someone who does things properly, he presents himself as someone moral and upstanding who takes pride in his work.

“The pores might open, minutely, in this area and let out a tiny drop of blood. A good barber like myself stakes his reputation on not permitting that to happen to any of his customers.”

As the barber contemplates his course of action, he considers what drawing even a tiny drop of blood would do to his reputation as the best barber in town and to his psyche. This further demonstrates the theme of the Consequences of Actions, and killing does not usually come easy.

“A little more lather here under the chin, on the Adam’s apple, right near the great vein. How hot it is! Torres must be sweating just as I am. But he is not afraid. He is a tranquil man, who is not even giving thought to what he will do to his prisoners this evening.”

These sentences portray the barber as a round character. Throughout the story, he is multifaceted and constantly changes his mind and actions. This is seen when he has the opportunity to commit murder when a vein appears but instead focuses on how hot he has become.

“Confound the hour he entered my shop! I am a revolutionary but not a murderer.”

The tone of these sentences is one of anguish and conflict. The use of the exclamation mark indicates that the choices presented to him are not black and white, and he rues the day Captain Torres entered his shop, forcing him to think of murder.

“And it would be so easy to kill him. He deserves it. Or does he? No, damn it! No one deserves the sacrifice others make in becoming assassins. What is to be gained by it? Nothing.”

During this internal monologue, the barber is once again in conflict with society and with himself. He consistently goes back and forth on who deserves to die, and by whose hands. It is a true dilemma in that no matter what he does, he seems to commit a wrong.

“I could cut his throat, so, swish, swish!”

Onomatopoeia is used in addition to imagery to engage the senses. As the barber thinks about how easy it would be to slit the throat of his enemy, he and the reader can both hear the sound it would make. A simple “swish, swish” with the razor and it would all be over.

“I’m sure that with a good strong blow, a deep cut, he would feel no pain. He would not suffer at all. And what would I do then with the body? Where would I hide it? I would have to flee, leave all this behind, take shelter far away, very far away.”

These sentences characterize the barber as one who is contemplative, quiet, and reflective. Even while thinking of murdering a man during a shave he is providing, he is wary of causing pain, though Torres has caused him pain. Ultimately, he does not want anyone, even his enemies, to suffer. Even if he could kill him with no suffering, he still contemplates what the consequences would be.

“And so, which will it be? Murderer or hero? My fate hangs on the edge of this razor blade.”

These sentences are full of internal conflict. The story revolves around the question of killing Captain Torres or letting him walk free and unscathed. He is conflicted about the choice before him, yet he must keep it quiet lest he let Captain Torres know his true allegiance.

“There is nothing more tender than a man’s skin, and the blood is always there, ready to burst forth. A razor like this cannot fail. It is the best one I have.”

In this sentence, the barber takes the symbol of the razor, one that is heavy and capable of violence, and places it on a pedestal. By stating the razor is the best one he has, he understands the weight of having a potential weapon for defense against what a violent man like Torres might have.

“You came in to be shaved. And I do my work honorably. I don’t want to stain my hands with blood. Just with lather, and nothing else.”

These sentences represent the decision the barber has made: he will not become a murderer. Additionally, there is a contrast present—blood versus lather. The blood is bright red, sticky, and a symbol of death, while the lather is light, airy, and a symbol of purity. When placed next to one another, they represent the differences in career paths of the barber and Captain Torres and the difference in political position that leads them to this moment in the barbershop.

“You are an executioner; I am only a barber. Each one to his job. That’s it. Each one to his job.”

Repetition is usually used in literature to drive home a point. Both the barber and captain have a job to do, and they both need to be left to do that job without interference from one another.

“Torres finished adjusting his belt buckle, straightened his gun in its holster, and, smoothing his hair mechanically, put on his cap.”

The belt buckle paired with the gun is symbolic. At the beginning of the story, the belt is described as studded with cartridges, and it is implied that the gun he places in his holster to leave the barber shop is the one used to gun down rebels. Both of these things represent the power Captain Torres possesses.