Just Lather That's All Summary

In “Just Lather, That’s All” by Hernado Tellez, the barber, the protagonist of the story, is faced with a dilemma when he must determine whether it is right or wrong to commit murder. With his “destiny depend[ing] on the edge of [his] blade,” Tellez suppresses the barber’s final decision from the reader until the end of the story, in order hold their attention. Additionally, the indeterminate ending prevents the plot’s intrigue from dissolving by leaving much to the reader’s interpretation. There is no closure to the situation; because of the barber’s final decision, the captain’s exit from the barbershop arouses as many questions for the reader as does his arrival at the beginning of the story. This generates additional fear for the barber
from the reader, as they do not know what succeeds him following the captain’s departure. By Tellez’ effective use of dilemma, he can enthrall the reader long their reading of the story.