Just Lather, That's All Cover Image

Just Lather, That's All

by Hernando Téllez

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Student Question

What are the important elements of point of view, setting, irony, and symbols in "Just Lather, That's All"?

Quick answer:

The story "Just Lather, That's All" is narrated from the barber's first-person perspective, providing a limited view of events. Set in a Colombian barber shop amid political unrest, the story highlights the tension between government forces and rebels. Irony is evident when the captain reveals his awareness of the barber's assassination plan. The razor symbolizes the barber's internal conflict between his professional ethics and revolutionary aspirations.

Expert Answers

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"Just Lather, That’s All" is told from a first person perspective. Specifically, it is told from the barber's point of view, meaning that the barber narrates all of the story's events. It could be argued that this offers us a limited perspective because the story is not told from the captain's point of view or from an impartial, third person perspective.

In terms of setting, the story takes place in a barber's shop somewhere in Colombia. The political situation is one of unrest because there is a conflict between the government and a group of rebels.

In terms of irony, we can find an example at the end of the story when the captain reveals that he knew about the barber's plans to kill him. This is ironic because it shows that the Barber's secret desire to kill the captain was not a secret at all.

Finally, the razor functions as a symbol of the barber's dilemma over whether or not to kill the captain. Just as the razor glides back and forth along the captain's skin, the barber's mind flips between his desire to be a good barber and his desire to become a revolutionary hero.

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