Student Question
Why does Captain Torres share his plans for the rebels with the barber, suspecting he's a rebel?
Quick answer:
Captain Torres shares his plans with the barber, suspecting he's a rebel, as a test of courage and machismo. Aware of the barber's potential threat, Torres challenges him, reflecting the cultural value of "machismo" in Latin America. By daring the barber to act, Torres seeks to prove his own bravery and to demonstrate that killing is difficult. His actions are not a death wish but a calculated risk, confident the barber won't kill him.
Captain Torres knows that the barber is a member of the rebel group and has been warned that the barber will kill him if he goes in there. Torres seems to even invite the barber to kill him by bragging about the recent capture of a group of rebels and reminding the barber of the barbaric events of the week before. So why would Torres go to the barber shop? Part of the answer lies in understanding Latin American culture, especially during a period of violent, political unrest. Boys were raised to be macho, called "machismo" in Latin America. Even in the U.S., we have traditionally raised our boys to be tough and macho. In a sense, Torres is daring the barber to kill him to show the barber how macho he is. Torres knows that if the barber kills him, the barber will be caught and punished, but I don't think Torres has a death wish. He's willing to gamble his life that the barber won't be able to kill him. At the end, Torres says to the barber, "They told me that you'd kill me. I came to find out. But killing isn't easy. You can take my word for it." Torres seems to be saying the barber's inaction is cowardice and to throw it in his face. The barber has to take Torres' word that killing isn't easy because he was unable to kill Torres.
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