Lather and Nothing Else

Through the barber’s internal conflict, Téllez illustrates how actions have consequences, both immediate and long-term, and how these consequences can impact not only the individual but also the wider community.

The barber’s decision to simply shave or kill Torres has immediate consequences for both himself and Torres. The barber recognizes that if he kills Torres, he will face legal repercussions, and possibly even death. He would have to run away from his family and his business and lay low in fear of retribution. However, he also understands that if he chooses to simply shave Torres, he will be helping his enemy, and betraying his fellow revolutionaries, leading to more executions that will occur that very evening. This internal struggle is highlighted when the barber thinks to himself, “He would not suffer at all. And what would I do then with the body? Where would I hide it? I would have to flee, leave all this behind, take shelter very far away […] What a cowardly thing to do” (Paragraph 41).

Téllez also emphasizes the long-term consequences of the barber’s actions. The barber understands that if he kills Torres, it will only escalate the violence between the revolutionaries and the military, resulting in even more death and destruction.