Lather and Nothing Else

The story narrates the inner conflict of a barber who is given the opportunity to take revenge on a man who caused immense suffering on behalf of a violent military regime. The story is narrated by the barber.

The story begins with the barber stropping his best razor. As he does so, a man enters his shop for a shave, and the barber recognizes him as Captain Torres, who is responsible for the torture and execution of many of the barber’s fellow rebels. While the barber continues to prep his razor, Torres makes a show of removing his “cartridge-studded belt” and removing his pistol so he may sit down and receive his shave (Paragraph 2).

This description of the belt and the pistol demonstrates the power that Torres has in the town and potentially over the barber. Additionally, it lets the readers and the barber know that he is, indeed, armed. As the barber prepares his soap and razor to shave Torres, he starts to think about the opportunity he has to take revenge on the man who caused his people so much pain. Torres casually strikes up a conversation with the barber, explaining that he has caught the rebel leaders and they will be “dead soon” (Paragraph 6).

During this conversation, the barber does not let on that he is one of the rebels. Instead, he continues to slice soap into the water and prepare the lather. As he begins to lather the captain’s face, he gets Torres talking, asking him questions about how many men Torres had taken and what will happen to them. As he keeps Torres talking, he contemplates whether to use the razor to kill him or to complete the shave and send him on his way unscathed.

The barber grapples with a moral dilemma. He wants to avenge the deaths of his friends, but he is hesitant to take a life, even that of his enemy. The barber’s conflict is depicted through his thoughts and actions as he struggles to make a decision. Téllez uses a first-person point of view to emphasize the barber’s perspective and to allow the reader to experience his inner turmoil, stating, “My hands began to tremble again […] I wished he had not come in. Probably many of our men had seen him enter the shop. And with the enemy in my house I felt a certain responsibility” (Paragraph 23). He is visibly shaken about the possibility of taking Torres’s life, yet he feels a responsibility to the people of the town. Either he either betrays his comrades, or he betrays his moral compass.

The themes of the story are centered around justice and revenge. The barber represents the people who have been wronged by the oppressive regime and have lost their loved ones. Torres represents the regime. The story raises the question of whether revenge is an appropriate response to injustice, and if the answer is yes, who should deliver the revenge and to what extent? Additionally, “Lather and Nothing Else” explores the consequences of one’s actions. If the barber were to kill Torres, he would avenge the deaths of previous rebels and prevent another round of executions, but he would also become a murderer, living with the guilt of his actions. In that way, the question becomes whether the barber is any better than Torres if he slits his throat.

Knowledge, Power, and Control is another important theme in the story. Torres is the embodiment of the power and control that the regime wields over its citizens. During their conversation, it is implied that Torres is baiting the barber into slipping up and revealing his identity. Torres goes as far as to invite the barber to the evening’s executions. He casually discusses the murders as though they were discussing what they will have for supper. The barber, on the other hand, has the power to take revenge on his oppressor. He holds a deadly weapon while Torres’s pistol sits out of reach. The barber thinks to himself, “it would be so easy to kill him. He deserves it […] I could cut his throat, so, swish, swish! He would not even have time to moan, and with his eyes shut he would not even see the shine of the razor or the gleam in my eye” (Paragraph 39). The story thus raises the question of whether power should be used to seek revenge.

The climax of the story occurs when the barber realizes that he cannot bring himself to take revenge on the man who has caused him so much suffering. His razor will remain a tool for his profession, not murder. He thinks to himself, “But I don’t want to be a murderer. No sir. You came in to be shaved. And I do my work honorably. I don’t want to stain my hands with blood. Just with lather, and nothing else” (Paragraph 44).

The story is filled with symbolism and metaphor, all of which serve to highlight the themes of the story. One of the most prominent symbols is the razor, which represents the power that the barber has over the captain. He has the ability to kill him, but he also has the responsibility to show restraint and uphold the moral code of his profession. The razor also represents the danger that the barber is in. If he makes the wrong choice, he could be killed or imprisoned for life.

Another important symbol is the lather. The lather represents the purity and innocence of the barber. He is a simple man who wants to do his job and live his life. However, the lather also represents the potential for violence. The barber could use it to kill the captain, but he ultimately decides not to, stating, “[Y]ou are an executioner; I am only a barber. Each one to his job. That’s it. Each one to his job” (Paragraph 44). While he does not agree politically with the captain, the barber knows he is not capable of murder, and they are each best left to their own devices: the barber his lather, and the captain his pistol.

The story comes to an end with a twist. For the entirety of the shave, the barber believes that Torres does not know he is a rebel. However, as Torres gets up to inspect his perfect shave and produce money to pay for the service, he tells the barber, “[T]hey told me you would kill me. I came to find out if it was true. But it’s not easy to kill. I know what I’m talking about” (Paragraph 47). This is where the story ends, thus the readers can only assume that the barber stands there, money in hand, flabbergasted. He spent the service shaking, contemplating murder, and the entire time Torres was testing to see if he could go through with his execution. Additionally, this twist of events proves that morality is not always black and white. Killing is not easy for Torres, as his conversation with the barber throughout the shave would make it seem. Torres, like the barber, has a job, and that job has requirements. For the barber, it is lather and nothing else, but for Torres, it is more complex. He is hated for his job, while the barber is loved for his. In these final moments between the barber and captain, readers see two men on opposing sides of politics allowing one another to live. In this final turn of events, both men act with humility.