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Sunday, October 10, 2010

Just Lather, That's All Response 2

EQ: How do our relationships affect the way we see the world/us.
Identities are not set in stone. In fact, we have a wide array of identities, ranging from our personality in a set minute or an overall glance at our life. All of these different identities can change in the blink of an eye with the development of new experiences and perspectives. In the story "Just Lather, That's All" by Hernando Tellez, the story of a barber who's experience with the enemy changes his perspective and then identity, we are shown that the pressures of people around us temporarily change us. The barber is a spy for a rebellion being hunted by the man he now shaves. In an instant the barber could slit his throat and free his people, but the harsh reality that the man in front of him is just as human as he is, despite his label as an inhumane killer, sets in. The barber's identity changes from that of a rebel spy to a third party viewer in a matter of minutes in light of this discovery. The pressures of his people had made him a rebel, but in the beginning he was just a barber. He realizes that "each person has his place in the scheme of things" and wonders if he is a "revolutionary or a murderer." In the end he is just a barber, unaffected by the people he was affiliated with by desperation. The moral of the story is that although people we meet and things we see can can alter our perspectives and sense of personal morality, only the people we truly trust, value and know can make a lasting impression on our identities. 

1 comment:

  1. How true, the people we meet can alter and our perspectives and influence our identity at that moment in time. Ultimatley, it is as you say who you truly belive in and trust will make a lasting impression adn often their beliefs are the same or similar as yours.Why do think it is this way? You have responded to the text in good detail bringing in good support to back up your points.

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