“Just Lather, That's All” by Hernando Tellez
COMPLETE SENTENCES
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1. DELAY is used as a suspense technique in this story.
a) What imporant information about each character is delayed until later on in
the story?
b) How does this delay contribute to the suspense in the story? Explain.
2. FORESHADOWING is used as a suspense technique in this story.
a) Provide two examples of foreshadowing that appear in the story.
b) How does this foreshadowing contribute to the suspense in the story?
3. Why is timing an important suspense technique used in this story? Write
two sentences to explain.
4. Is there a clear hero and a clear villain in the story? How does this affect
the level of suspense in the story? Write two sentences to explain your
opinion.
5. How does the story's use of a first person narrative point of view add to its
suspense?
6. REPETITION is used throughout the story in order to create suspense.
a) What is the purpose of the narrator repeating that he is a “good barber”
who is proud of his work?
b) What is the effect of the word “blood” being repeated throughout the story?
7. This story does not develop the way that readers expect. Explain the story's
twist ending. Write two sentences to explain it.
8. Characters with POWERFUL MOTIVATION are developed in the story.
a) What is the barber's motivation for wanting to murder Captain Torres?
b) What is the barber's motivation for NOT murdering Captain Torres?
9. Why do you think that Captain Torres went to the barber even though he
knew that the barber could have killed him?