Lather and Nothing Else
How far would you go to
support a cause you
believed in? What would
you be willing to give up?
Summary
‘“Lather and Nothing Else’ describes the experience of a
small-town barber during Colombia’s civil unrest of the
late 1940s. A rebel spy, the barber finds himself holding
a razor to the chin of Captain Torres of the local military
police. As the captain recounts his recent adventures
capturing and torturing rebels, the barber agonizes over
whether to kill the captain or just give him a shave-and
nothing else.” Literature: Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes
Side note: Notice how I used single quotation marks around the
title and double quotation marks around the rest of the excerpt?
When we use titles inside of quoted material, we will use single
quotation marks for the titles of short stories, poems, and
articles.
Vocabulary
Foray:
A quick attack or raid
Lather:
Foam made by soap
Regime:
Government in power
Mutilate:
To injure or maim
Vocabulary
Rebel
Revolutionaries
A person who rises against authority, often of his
country
Person taking part in a revolution
Assassin
A murderer, especially one who kills a
prominent political figure.
Executioner
A person who carries out a death sentence
Avenger:
One who gets even for a wrong done to them
Lather
Explain Conflict
What is the main conflict of the story?
What makes this an internal conflict?
Climax: Identify the point at which the
story changes-the highest point of
tension.
Plot Diagram
Rising Action:
Name three
events that build
up the suspense
of the story.
3.
2.
1.
Exposition: Where
and when does the
story take place?
Falling Action:
Name one event
that takes place
after the climax. It
is a decrease in
tension.
Resolution:
Identify how the
main conflict of the
story in resolved.
Remember: The plot
diagram shows the
progression of the story.
Plot Diagram
Climax
Rising Action
Falling Action
Exposition
Resolution
Recall
What is going to happen at six o'clock at the school?
What is going to be difficult for the barber to explain?
Recall
What does the barber imagine doing?
What would happen if he did this?
What does he imagine people would say?
Literature Questions, Pg. 496
Thematic Focus: Each of us has a set of rules by which we
live. How does the barber’s personal code dictate his
behavior?
Check Your Comprehension:
1. How does the barber feel when Captain Torres enters
the shop?
2. What has Captain Torres been doing for the past four
days?
3. What role does the barber have in the civil war?
Literature Questions, Pg. 496
Critical Thinking:
1. Why does the barber consider what would “be a good
thing” for his enemy?
2. Why does the barber decide not to kill Captain Torres?
3. What message does this story suggest about the
effects of civil war on people and their community?
Evaluate:
4. Do you think the barber made the right decision?
Why or why not?
Analyze Character
What is Captain Torres's real purpose in
coming to the narrator for a shave?
(Consider: What does Torres admit at the end
of the story?)
--What does this reveal about his character?
Point of View
From whose point of view is the story told?
Is the story told in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd person?
How would the story be different if it was told
from a different point of view?
Narrator and Point of View
Which passages in the selection reveal the
narrator's love of his work as a barber?
Which passages reveal his dedication to the
revolution?
How would the story be different if told
from a third-person point of view? If Torres
were the narrator?
Setting and Mood
What kind of mood does the scene in the
barber shop create for the reader? Identify
specific details that contribute to creating
this mood. (How does the author try to
build suspense?)
Evaluate Morality of Actions
Do you think the use of violence to bring about
political change can be justified?
If so, at what point does political violence cease to
be justified?
If not, how can political change be brought about if
the party in power will not allow compromises?
Connect to Our Lives
Personal moral code is a large part of this story.
Reflect on what your personal moral code is.
What do you believe? How do you live your life?
Connect to Our Lives
Things to consider:
Is cheating wrong?
Is lying wrong?
Is stealing wrong?
Is murder wrong?
What are challenges to our beliefs? Where do we
draw the line?
How do people try to justify doing any of those
items?
Literary Elements
Hyperbole is exaggeration for literary effect. Téllez
uses an example of hyperbole in his description of
the stream of blood flowing out the door and into
the street.
Write your own example of hyperbole. Use
homework as a topic….
Evaluate
To what extent is each of the
characters at the mercy of
the other?
Analyze Excerpts“It’s not easy to kill. I know what I’m
talking about.” -Captain Torres
Analyze Excerpts
“Come at six o’clock this evening to the
school…it may be even better.”-Captain
Torres
Analyze Excerpts
“No one deserves the sacrifice
others make in becoming
assassins.” – The Barber