Wednesday 18 May 2016

What is the setting of the story "Just Lather That's All"?

"Just Lather, That's All" is set in Columbia, the home country of its author, Hernando Tellez. Although we do not know the specific town, the story is told from the perspective of the narrator (who is a barber), and all of the action takes place inside his shop.  


It is clear from the dialogue between the barber and his client, Captain Torres, that a civil war is raging through the country. On one side is the Captain and...


"Just Lather, That's All" is set in Columbia, the home country of its author, Hernando Tellez. Although we do not know the specific town, the story is told from the perspective of the narrator (who is a barber), and all of the action takes place inside his shop.  




It is clear from the dialogue between the barber and his client, Captain Torres, that a civil war is raging through the country. On one side is the Captain and his men, and, on the other, there are rebels, for whom the barber is a secret informant. 




The setting of this story, therefore, is intrinsic to the story's plot. While the civil war rages outside, the appearance of Captain Torres gives the barber a rare opportunity to kill the Captain and become a hero. This opportunity, however, creates another war inside the shop: this time, it is a battle between the barber's desire for blood and his desire to simply be a barber.


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