Lather and Nothing Else
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What are some temptations that could be
present in the life of a grade 9 student? e.g.
drinking, cheating, drugs, smoking, etc.
When has choosing between right and wrong
led you to a turning point in your life?
What is an old time shave like?
Straight Razor Shave
Review Elements of a Short Story, pp. 18 -19
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What do you think has already happened?
What clues let you know how the barber is
feeling?
How does recognizing the short story elements
help with understanding?
What setting has the author focused on? Did he
use effective word choice? Why or why not?
Was there a clear voice?
What are the conflicts?
What do you know about the barber’s
personality?
What message is Hernando Tellez sending?
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What do you think now? When has choosing
between right and wrong led you to a turning
point in your life? How would the barber and
Captain Torres respond?
Is first-person point of view effective for the
story? Why?
How does the author intend us to feel?
Did the barber do the right thing?
Would the statement “it’s not easy to kill” be a
better title? Why?
What did you learn that you may try in your own
writing?
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Writing: Thoughts on Both Sides
In one column of a two column chart, copy
the conflicting thoughts of the barber, and
what the captain is thinking in the chair in the
other column. What actions and tone would
the captain use to reflect the tension he feels?
Use the chart to write an epilogue from the
perspective of the captain or the barber.
Pass in for marks.
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Write a 1 page “What happens next” in your
journal. This will be marked out of 10.
Continue the story on from the perspective of
the barber, or the perspective of the captain.
Think about what happens that night, the
next day, the next week, etc. Does the barber
go to the school? Do other customers come
in? What happens to the captain? Take the
reader to the next place in the story.
Complete and pass in.