After going back and forth trying to decide whether to kill Captain Torres, the barber finally says to himself, "You came to me for a shave. And I perform my work honorably. . . . Each person has his own place in the scheme of things." The barber seems to be justifying his actions by saying that he's just a barber, not a murderer. Do you think the barber really believes this, or do you think he's telling himself this because he wanted to kill Torres but was too scared to do it?

Question

anonymous · Answer

I think he's telling himself that.

anonymous · Answer

I think the barber believes it. Here's an explanation, which I got from here: http://www.brighthubeducation.com/homework-help-literature/75463-lather-and-nothing-else-summary-and-analysis/ Although the barber feels justified in killing Torres, he also considers letting him live. By killing Torres, the barber believes that nothing is to be gained by it, and that “others and still others would keep coming, and the first kills the second, and then these kill the next, and so on until everything becomes a sea of blood.” Another consequence of killing Torres would be the loss of his livelihood. The barber would have to flee town to avoid getting caught, and this would cost him his most valued passion—being a barber. Hiding from his enemies would not aid him in avoiding their wrath, for they would search for him until he is found. Soon enough, he would meet the same fate of his fellow revolutionaries. Moreover, the barber considers himself a revolutionary, not a murderer. He “does not want to stain his hands with blood. Just with lather, and nothing else.” Torres was an executioner, but the barber was simply a barber. Consequently, the barber’s decision is to let Torres live, for he values his reputation as the best barber in town more than he does as a revolutionary. People challenged with a conflict must make a decision they believe will result in the most favourable outcome. The barber is one who faced such a dilemma—his worst enemy was also a customer in his shop. One choice the barber considered was to kill Torres, a member of the existing regime, for this would relieve the town of his ruthless crimes. However, the barber finally decided against killing Torres as he came to realize he is not one to commit a murder. He is simply a barber and values nothing more than his occupation.Although the barber feels justified in killing Torres, he also considers letting him live. By killing Torres, the barber believes that nothing is to be gained by it, and that “others and still others would keep coming, and the first kills the second, and then these kill the next, and so on until everything becomes a sea of blood.” Another consequence of killing Torres would be the loss of his livelihood. The barber would have to flee town to avoid getting caught, and this would cost him his most valued passion—being a barber. Hiding from his enemies would not aid him in avoiding their wrath, for they would search for him until he is found. Soon enough, he would meet the same fate of his fellow revolutionaries. Moreover, the barber considers himself a revolutionary, not a murderer. He “does not want to stain his hands with blood. Just with lather, and nothing else.” Torres was an executioner, but the barber was simply a barber. Consequently, the barber’s decision is to let Torres live, for he values his reputation as the best barber in town more than he does as a revolutionary. People challenged with a conflict must make a decision they believe will result in the most favourable outcome. The barber is one who faced such a dilemma—his worst enemy was also a customer in his shop. One choice the barber considered was to kill Torres, a member of the existing regime, for this would relieve the town of his ruthless crimes. However, the barber finally decided against killing Torres as he came to realize he is not one to commit a murder. He is simply a barber and values nothing more than his occupation.

anonymous · Answer

Actually, now that I read it over, I think it's because he's scared to do it, since he doesn't want to lose his livelihood and reputation