Summary Of Lather And Nothing Else By Hernando Tellez

“Lather and Nothing Else” is a short story written by Hernando Tellez that describes a rebel barber and his client, the Captain Torres, the executioner of his comrades and friends. The barber was left with the paramount decision as to kill the Captain or to spare his life. Throughout the story, Tellez utilizes multiple techniques to develop suspense. Suspense is a critical aspect in many novels, and aids in captivating the reader to compel them to continue reading to know the end result. Tellez creates suspense by including internal dialogue, imagery, and point of view to increase the reader's anticipation to find the final result. The barber is continuously engaged in internal conflict, arguing that he was “a revolutionary but not a murderer” and

It heightens the experience of reading by adding the aspect of violence and crime, which in turn also creates suspense. Furthermore, it creates a more personal aspect for the barber, connecting the blood to his being, him becoming stained if he were to have made the permanent decision of killing the captain. The barber had thought that Captain Torres’ “skin would give way like silk, like rubber, like leather.” (Tellez). The picture created by each of these substances portrays a different message, for silk would be extremely smooth and simple to cut through or damage, while leather, on the other hand, is known to be tough and resistant to wear. While the barber’s frenzied thoughts are beginning to affect his reasoning, he is also imagining how simple the task could be, but it begins to loom over him when he ponders the consequences, and the task soon may seem inconceivable, the difficulty constantly increasing in his