Lather and Nothing Else and the Possibility of Evil - Essay
Short Story Essay
British Baptist Preacher Charles Spurgeon once said, “Beware of no man more than of yourself; we carry our worst enemies within us.” By reading “Lather and Nothing Else,” “The Possibility of Evil” and through one’s one personal struggles this quote is found to be true. Everyone faces struggles with themselves. It is yourself that is your own enemy because your mind is what creates your fears, goals and weaknesses not someone else. The story “Lather and Nothing Else” talks about a barber who must decide to be either a hero or a murderer. “The Possibility of Evil” deals with the evil that lies beneath the peaceful surface of a small town. In both stories topics including integrity, honesty, morals, values and work ethic are dealt with Characters in both stories encounter struggle or conflict, but something is learned through this struggle.
First of all, the story “Lather and Nothing Else” deals with inner struggle. The main character, the barber, is secretly a member of the resistance against the government. The conflict is introduced when Captain Torres, an executioner, walks into the barber’s shop to get shaved. That gives the barber an opportunity to kill him and become a hero. The main character then becomes very conflicted. If he decides to kill Cpt. Torres he could escape to another country, but he would still have to live with the fact that he killed someone and that feeling would haunt him for the rest of his life. The barber debated the situation in his head. Perhaps he believed killing someone would lower himself to the captain’s level. The main character came to the decision that he would not kill the captain. The barber believed he did his work honorably and didn’t want to stain his hands with blood. “To each his own. That’s the way it is. To each his own.” The lesson the author intends the readers to learn is to always weigh out the pros and cons before making a difficult choice in life.
Next, “The Possibility of Evil”
British Baptist Preacher Charles Spurgeon once said, “Beware of no man more than of yourself; we carry our worst enemies within us.” By reading “Lather and Nothing Else,” “The Possibility of Evil” and through one’s one personal struggles this quote is found to be true. Everyone faces struggles with themselves. It is yourself that is your own enemy because your mind is what creates your fears, goals and weaknesses not someone else. The story “Lather and Nothing Else” talks about a barber who must decide to be either a hero or a murderer. “The Possibility of Evil” deals with the evil that lies beneath the peaceful surface of a small town. In both stories topics including integrity, honesty, morals, values and work ethic are dealt with Characters in both stories encounter struggle or conflict, but something is learned through this struggle.
First of all, the story “Lather and Nothing Else” deals with inner struggle. The main character, the barber, is secretly a member of the resistance against the government. The conflict is introduced when Captain Torres, an executioner, walks into the barber’s shop to get shaved. That gives the barber an opportunity to kill him and become a hero. The main character then becomes very conflicted. If he decides to kill Cpt. Torres he could escape to another country, but he would still have to live with the fact that he killed someone and that feeling would haunt him for the rest of his life. The barber debated the situation in his head. Perhaps he believed killing someone would lower himself to the captain’s level. The main character came to the decision that he would not kill the captain. The barber believed he did his work honorably and didn’t want to stain his hands with blood. “To each his own. That’s the way it is. To each his own.” The lesson the author intends the readers to learn is to always weigh out the pros and cons before making a difficult choice in life.
Next, “The Possibility of Evil”