Identity
Objective:
Students will be challenged to consider their own identity formation,
and how this can affect their perspectives and actions by reading and
analyzing "Lather and Nothing Else" by Hernando Tellez.
Lesson plan can be done in three 50 min. periods.
California
Language Arts Standards Grade 7:
Reading: 3, 4,
5
Writing: 1, 2,
3, 4, 5, 6
Listening and
Speaking: 1a, 1c, 1d, 3, 4
Supplies needed:
Students -
journal notebook, pen, colored pencils and paper
Handout of story
with discussion questions included, Charts #'s 1, 2, 3
Teacher – white
board, colored markers
Day
1:
Students write
in a journal notebook:
How
would you describe yourself?
Use any words
(adjectives) or phrases that come to mind
and would fit in
this sentence in 2 minutes:
"I am
________ "
Now try to
complete as many of these sentences as you can in 3 minutes
I am a ________
I am a ________
I am a ________
Teacher's
Explanation and Discussion
What
is the difference between these two sentences?
What
changed with the adding of an article "a"?
In
general the first sentence helps you describe characteristics or
character traits about yourself.
The
second sentence is to help you begin to understand how you see
yourself in relation to other people, and the world around you. It
asks what groupings or classification of people do you see yourself
as being a part of. In short: How do you identify yourself?
This
is an ongoing process that will continue the rest of your life but is
particularly critical at this stage of your life because the
decisions you make about identity at your age will have the longest
range effects.
What
or whom is significant to you, will have a large effect on how you
see yourself and how you view others and interpret the world around
you.
"The
concept of identity is a complex one, shaped by individual
characteristics, family dynamics , historical factors and social and
political contexts. Who am I? The answer depends in large part on who
the world around me says I am. Who do my parents say I am? Who do my
peers say that I am? What message is reflected back to me in the
faces of my teacher, my neighbors, store clerks? What do I learn form
the media about myself? Tatum, Beverly Daniel, PH.D..Why
Are All The Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? And Other
Conversations About Race
New York: Basic Books, 1997.
Students
continue writing in their notebook:
We are all looking
for who we are similar to, where we seem to fit in, belong etc.
Try to explain the
above quote in your own words. Respond to the ideas presented here.
Think: How do you
know what your face looks like?
Use hand held
mirror as example.
This helps me to
see what I cannot see on
my own.
Who or where is
your mirror?
Where are you
looking for feedback?
Teacher will read
and explain the following quote in simpler terms for the students to
understand more easily.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Identity_(social_science)
Identity
may be defined as the distinctive characteristic belonging to any
given individual, or shared by all members of a particular social
category or group. Identity may be distinguished from identification;
the former is a label, whereas the latter refers to the classifying
act itself. Identity is thus best construed as being both relational
and contextual, while the act of identification is best viewed as
inherently processual.[1]
However, the
formation of one's identity occurs through one's identifications with
significant others (primarily with parents and other individuals
during one’s biographical experiences, and also with 'groups' as
they are perceived). These others may be benign such that one aspires
to their characteristics, values and beliefs (a process of
idealistic-identification), or malign when one wishes to dissociate
from their characteristics (a process of defensive
contra-identification) (Weinreich & Saunderson 2003, Chapter 1,
pp 54–61).
Teacher
explains:
Identity is a
social construct.
What labels or
categories would be able to be applied to you?
Examples:
geographical racial ethnic, hobbies, interests, relationships
What groupings of
people would you place yourself in?"
Now, add to your
list in your journal other identities that come to mind - 3 minutes.
However, out of
all the possible groupings I might realistically fit in, some will be
more important to me than others. Go back over your list in your
journal entry and rewrite what you listed in order of significance or
importance to you, starting with what is more important to you first.
What do you most identify with?
Which fit but you
don't feel are significant or close to really describing who you are?
Which of these
would you 'own' as being significant or important to you?
Did the order stay
relatively the same? When you first were asked to write, what came to
mind quickly?
What came to mind
only after thinking for a while. Why do you think that is?
It is interesting
to notice what came to mind first and what I list as first in order
of importance. What might this show?
How we view
ourselves has a large effect on how we view others.
example of reading
glasses - they clarify
example of
sunglasses - they color what we see
no one is bias
free - but it helps to know where yours are
The more you are
aware of and recognize your biases the more you can be aware of how
they do influence you. Where you are coming from will affect what you
see and where you are going. Example: Being an athletic person
probably influences whether you see others in varying degrees of
being athletic or not.
Homework: Look up
the following words and write down all the different meanings, forms,
parts of speech and spellings. Test is in 3 days. Words: identity,
regime, responsibility, indifference, conscientious, painstaking,
rejuvenated, tranquil, cowardly, indelible
Day
2-3 Will go as far as possible one day and pick up where we left off
the next day.
Go over vocabulary
for the story we are about to read.
This story does
not front load information to you at the beginning.
You need to be a
detective and look for clues to piece it all together.
"Lather
and Nothing Else" by Hernando Tellez
He came in
without a word. I was stropping my best razor. And when I recognized
him, I started to shake. But he did not notice. To cover my
nervousness, I went on honing the razor. I tried the edge with the
tip of my thumb and took another look at it against the light.
Meanwhile,
he was taking off his cartridge studded belt with the pistol holster
suspended from it. He put it on a hook in the wardrobe and hung his
cap above it. Then he turned full around toward me and, loosening his
tie, remarked, "It's hot as the devil. I want a shave."
With that he took his seat.
Fill in what you
can on chart 1 on setting and characters. What can you figure out so
far?
What can we deduce
from what the author does give us? What does he not give, why?
Setting:
time
place
Characters
1.
2.
I
estimated he had a four-days growth of beard, the four days he had
been gone on the last foray after our men. His face looked burnt,
tanned by the sun.
I started
to work carefully on the shaving soap. I scraped some slices from the
cake, dropped them into the mug, then added a little lukewarm water
and stirred with the brush. The later soon began to rise.
"The
fellows in the troop must have just about as much beard as I." I
went on stirring up lather.
"But
we did very well, you know. We caught the leaders. Some of them we
brought back dead; others are still alive. But they'll all be dead
soon."
2. What can you
add to your chart? Why are the following words, keys to opening up
this story and what is going on here?
"our men"
"troop"
"leaders"
“How
many did you take?” I asked.
“Fourteen.
We had to go pretty far in to find them. But now they're paying for
it. And not one will escape; not a single one.”
He leaned back
in the chair when he saw the brush in my hand, full of lather. I had
not yet put the sheet on him. I was certainly flustered. Taking a
sheet from the drawer, I tied it around my customer's neck.
He went on
talking. He evidently took it for granted that I was on the side of
the existing regime.
3. What can you
add to your chart? What insight do the following words give us?
"existing
regime"
"our men"
“The
people must have gotten a scare with what happened the other day,”he
said.
“Yes,”
I replied, as I finished tying the know against his nape, which smelt
of sweat.
“Good
show, wasn't it?”
“Very
good,” I answered, turning my attention now to the brush. The man
closed his eyes wearily and awaited the cool caress of the lather.
I had
never had him so close before. The day he ordered the people to file
through the schoolyard to look upon the four rebels hanging there, my
path had crossed his briefly. But the sight of those mutilated bodies
kept me from paying attention to the face of the man who had been
directing it, all and whom I now had in my hands.
It was not
a disagreeable face, certainly. And the beard, which aged him a bit,
was not unbecoming. His name was Torres. Captain Torres.
4. What can you
add to chart #1 now?
I started
to lay on the first coat of lather. He kept his eyes closed.
“I
would love to catch a nap,” he said, “but there's a lot to be
done this evening.”
I lifted
the brush and asked with pretended indifference: “A firing party?”
"Something
of the sort,” he replied, “but slower.”
"All
of them?”
“No,
just a few.”
I went on
lathering his face. My hands began to tremble again. The man could
not be aware of this, which was lucky for me. But I wished he had not
come in. Probably many of our men had seen him enter the shop. And
with the enemy in my house I felt a certain responsibility.
5. Discuss what he
means by 'responsibility' here? Who is he referring to? What do they
think he should do?
I would
have to shave his beard just like any other, carefully, neatly, just
as though he were a good customer, taking heed that not a single pore
should emit a drop of blood. Seeing to it that the blade did not slip
in the small whorls. Taking care that the skin was left clean, soft,
shining, so that when I passed the back of my hand over it not a
single hair should be felt. Yes, I was secretly a revolutionary but
at the same time I was a conscientious barber, proud of the way I did
my job. And that four day beard presented a challenge.
6. What are two of
his identities? How are they now in conflict? How do they led to
different actions and paths? Fill in on chart #1.
I took up
the razor, opened the handle wide, releasing the blade, and started
to work, downward from one side burn. The blade responded to
perfection. The hair was tough and hard; not very long, but thick.
Little by little the skin began to show through. The razor gave out
its usual sound as it gathered up layers of soap mixed with bits of
hair. I paused to wipe it clean, and taking up the strop once more
went about improving its edge, for I am a painstaking barber.
The man,
who had kept his eyes closed, now opened them, put a hand out from
under the sheet, felt of the part of his face that was emerging from
the lather, and said to me, “Come at six o’clock this evening to
the school.”
“Will
it be like the other day?” I asked, stiff with horror.
“It
may be even better,” he replied.
"What
are you planning to do?”
“I'm
not sure yet. But we'll have a good time.”
Once more
he leaned back and shut his eyes. I came closer, the razor on high.
“Are
you going to punish all of them?” I timidly ventured.
“Yes,
all of them.”
The later
was drying on his face. I must hurry. Through the mirror, I took a
look at the street. It appeared about as usual; there was the grocery
shop with two or three customers. Then I glanced at the clock,
two-thirty.
7. Now work on
chart 2 on Conflict: Fill in each category for the each of these men.
Identities
How that affects his view of others What behavior would result?
1. barber
2. Captain Torres
The razor
kept descending. Now from the other side burn downward. It was a blue
beard, a thick one. He should let it grow like some poets, or some
priests. It would suit him well. May people would not recognize him.
And that would be a good thing for him, I thought, as I went gently
over all the throat line. At this point you really had to handle your
blade skilful, because the hair, while scantier, tended to fall into
small whorls. It was a curly beard. The pores might open, minutely ,
in this area and let out a tiny drop of blood. A good barber like
myself stakes his reputation on not permitting that to happen to any
of his customers.
And this
was indeed a special customer. How many of ours had he sent to their
death? How many had he mutilated? It was best not to think about it.
Torres did not know I was his enemy. Neither he nor the others knew
it. It was a secret shared by very few, just because that made it
possible or me to inform the revolutionaries about Torres's
activities in the town and what the planned to do every time he went
on one of his raids to hunt down rebels. So it was going to be very
difficult to explain how it was that I had him in my hands ad then
let him go in peace, alive, clean-shaven.
8. What can you
now add to chart 2? How does this illuminate the conflict this man is
facing?
His beard
had now almost entirely disappeared. He looked younger, several years
younger than when he had come in. I suppose that always happens to
men who enter and leave barbershops. Under the strokes of my razor,
Torres was rejuvenated; yes, because I am a good barber, the best in
this town, and I say this in all modesty.
A
little more lather here under the chin, on the Adam's apple, right
near the great vein. How hot it is! Torres must be sweating just as I
am. But he is not afraid. He is a tranquil man, who is not even
giving thought to what he will do to his prisoners this evening. I,
on the other hand, polishing his skin with this razor but avoiding
the drawing of blood, careful with every stroke – I cannot keep my
thoughts in order.
Confound
the hour he entered my shop! I am a revolutionary but not a murderer.
9. "I am a
revolutionary not a murderer." Try to explain this statement in
your own words. Where do these overlap? Where do they differentiate?
And it
would be so easy to kill him. He deserves it. Or does he?No! No one
deserves the sacrifice others make in becoming assassins. What is to
be gained by it? Nothing. Others and still others keep coming, and
the first kill the second, and then these kill the next, and so on
until everything becomes a sea of blood. I could cut his throat, so,
swish, swish! He would not even have time to moan, and with his eyes
shut he would not even see the shine of the razor or the gleam in my
eye.
10. Rewrite this
passage in your own words and explain. Can you think of any examples
to support this idea from history or current events?
I'm sure
that with a good strong blow, a deep cut, he would feel no pain. He
would not suffer at all. And what would I do then with the body?
Where would I hide it? I would have to flee, leave all this behind,
take shelter far away, very far away. But they would follow until
they caught up with me. “The murderer of Captain Torres. He slit
his throat while he was shaving him. What a cowardly thing to do.”
And others
would ay, “The avenger of our people. A name to remember” - my
name here. “He was the town barber. No one knew he was fighting for
our cause.”
What can you fill
in on chart # 3 of how this barber is attempting to make this
difficult decision by doing a cost benefit analysis.
Choice
Cost Benefit
1.
2.
And
so , which will it be? Murderer or hero? My fate hangs on the edge of
this razor blade. I can turn my wrist slightly, put a bit more
pressure on the blade, let it sink in. The skin will yield like silk,
like rubber, like the strop. There is nothing more tender than a
man's skin, and the blood is always there, ready to burst forth.
A
razor like this cannot fail. It is the best one I have.
Predict what do
you think he will do and why? What do you think you would do and
why?
But
I don't want to be a murderer. No, sir. You came in to be shaved. And
I do my work honorably. I don't want to stain my hands with blood.
Just with lather, and nothing else. You are an executioner; I am only
a barber. Each one to his job. That's it. Each one to his job.
13. What did he
decide and why? How many times do you need to do something for it to
affect your identity and character?
The chin
was now clean, polished, soft. The man got up and looked at himself
in the glass. He ran his hand over the skin and felt its freshness,
its newness.
“Thanks”
he said. He walked to the wardrobe for his belt, his pistol, and his
cap. I must have been very pale, ad I felt my shirt soaked with
sweat. Torres finished adjusting his belt buckle, straightened his
gun in its holster, and smoothing his hair mechanically, put on his
cap. From his trousers pocket he took some coins to pay for the
shave. And he started toward the door. On the threshold he stopped
for a moment, and turning toward me he said,
“They
told me you would kill me. I came to find out if it was true. But
it's not easy to kill. I know what I'm talking about.”
14. Explain in
your own words. How does this change everything you have read and
understood so far?
Homework: Writing
Dialogue
Write a
conversation or dialogue using correct punctuation and format between
- yourself and one
of the characters in the story
- the barber and
his rebel friends as he tries to explain his decision
- the barber and
Captain Torres after his last statement
How
does the author's use of dialogue enhance characterization and raise
interest verses using more narration in this story? Write out the
event of this story without any dialogue. What changes?
Writing
Assignments:
1.
5 paragraph expository essay on theme for this story.
Identify a theme
for this story
Find evidence from
the story to show how the author presents and supports this idea.
How would the
story be written differently to support a different theme from the
same situation?
Work on outline of
both evidence and argumentation to show the theme of this story.
2.
Personal Writing
Journal entry:
Think of a time when you experienced having an identity conflict.
Describe what brought about this conflict and how you responded and
why?
How did you choose
to see yourself and why?
How did it turn
out and why?
If you could go
back and do anything differently, what would you and why?
3.
Research Assignment
Using the
Internet, look up background information on the author and the
history of the country he is from. Write how this affects your
understanding of the story. Also look up any present day examples
and explain how they relate to the ideas presented in this story.
Sample
Resources:
people who look like their dogs –
funny but true photos
Identity
Objective:
Students will be challenged to consider their own identity formation,
and how this can affect their perspectives and actions by reading and
analyzing "Lather and Nothing Else" by Hernando Tellez.
Lesson plan can be done in three 50 min. periods.
California
Language Arts Standards Grade 7:
Reading: 3, 4,
5
Writing: 1, 2,
3, 4, 5, 6
Listening and
Speaking: 1a, 1c, 1d, 3, 4
Supplies needed:
Students -
journal notebook, pen, colored pencils and paper
Handout of story
with discussion questions included, Charts #'s 1, 2, 3
Teacher – white
board, colored markers
Day
1:
Students write
in a journal notebook:
How
would you describe yourself?
Use any words
(adjectives) or phrases that come to mind
and would fit in
this sentence in 2 minutes:
"I am
________ "
Now try to
complete as many of these sentences as you can in 3 minutes
I am a ________
I am a ________
I am a ________
Teacher's
Explanation and Discussion
What
is the difference between these two sentences?
What
changed with the adding of an article "a"?
In
general the first sentence helps you describe characteristics or
character traits about yourself.
The
second sentence is to help you begin to understand how you see
yourself in relation to other people, and the world around you. It
asks what groupings or classification of people do you see yourself
as being a part of. In short: How do you identify yourself?
This
is an ongoing process that will continue the rest of your life but is
particularly critical at this stage of your life because the
decisions you make about identity at your age will have the longest
range effects.
What
or whom is significant to you, will have a large effect on how you
see yourself and how you view others and interpret the world around
you.
"The
concept of identity is a complex one, shaped by individual
characteristics, family dynamics , historical factors and social and
political contexts. Who am I? The answer depends in large part on who
the world around me says I am. Who do my parents say I am? Who do my
peers say that I am? What message is reflected back to me in the
faces of my teacher, my neighbors, store clerks? What do I learn form
the media about myself? Tatum, Beverly Daniel, PH.D..Why
Are All The Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? And Other
Conversations About Race
New York: Basic Books, 1997.
Students
continue writing in their notebook:
We are all looking
for who we are similar to, where we seem to fit in, belong etc.
Try to explain the
above quote in your own words. Respond to the ideas presented here.
Think: How do you
know what your face looks like?
Use hand held
mirror as example.
This helps me to
see what I cannot see on
my own.
Who or where is
your mirror?
Where are you
looking for feedback?
Teacher will read
and explain the following quote in simpler terms for the students to
understand more easily.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Identity_(social_science)
Identity
may be defined as the distinctive characteristic belonging to any
given individual, or shared by all members of a particular social
category or group. Identity may be distinguished from identification;
the former is a label, whereas the latter refers to the classifying
act itself. Identity is thus best construed as being both relational
and contextual, while the act of identification is best viewed as
inherently processual.[1]
However, the
formation of one's identity occurs through one's identifications with
significant others (primarily with parents and other individuals
during one’s biographical experiences, and also with 'groups' as
they are perceived). These others may be benign such that one aspires
to their characteristics, values and beliefs (a process of
idealistic-identification), or malign when one wishes to dissociate
from their characteristics (a process of defensive
contra-identification) (Weinreich & Saunderson 2003, Chapter 1,
pp 54–61).
Teacher
explains:
Identity is a
social construct.
What labels or
categories would be able to be applied to you?
Examples:
geographical racial ethnic, hobbies, interests, relationships
What groupings of
people would you place yourself in?"
Now, add to your
list in your journal other identities that come to mind - 3 minutes.
However, out of
all the possible groupings I might realistically fit in, some will be
more important to me than others. Go back over your list in your
journal entry and rewrite what you listed in order of significance or
importance to you, starting with what is more important to you first.
What do you most identify with?
Which fit but you
don't feel are significant or close to really describing who you are?
Which of these
would you 'own' as being significant or important to you?
Did the order stay
relatively the same? When you first were asked to write, what came to
mind quickly?
What came to mind
only after thinking for a while. Why do you think that is?
It is interesting
to notice what came to mind first and what I list as first in order
of importance. What might this show?
How we view
ourselves has a large effect on how we view others.
example of reading
glasses - they clarify
example of
sunglasses - they color what we see
no one is bias
free - but it helps to know where yours are
The more you are
aware of and recognize your biases the more you can be aware of how
they do influence you. Where you are coming from will affect what you
see and where you are going. Example: Being an athletic person
probably influences whether you see others in varying degrees of
being athletic or not.
Homework: Look up
the following words and write down all the different meanings, forms,
parts of speech and spellings. Test is in 3 days. Words: identity,
regime, responsibility, indifference, conscientious, painstaking,
rejuvenated, tranquil, cowardly, indelible
Day
2-3 Will go as far as possible one day and pick up where we left off
the next day.
Go over vocabulary
for the story we are about to read.
This story does
not front load information to you at the beginning.
You need to be a
detective and look for clues to piece it all together.
"Lather
and Nothing Else" by Hernando Tellez
He came in
without a word. I was stropping my best razor. And when I recognized
him, I started to shake. But he did not notice. To cover my
nervousness, I went on honing the razor. I tried the edge with the
tip of my thumb and took another look at it against the light.
Meanwhile,
he was taking off his cartridge studded belt with the pistol holster
suspended from it. He put it on a hook in the wardrobe and hung his
cap above it. Then he turned full around toward me and, loosening his
tie, remarked, "It's hot as the devil. I want a shave."
With that he took his seat.
Fill in what you
can on chart 1 on setting and characters. What can you figure out so
far?
What can we deduce
from what the author does give us? What does he not give, why?
Setting:
time
place
Characters
1.
2.
I
estimated he had a four-days growth of beard, the four days he had
been gone on the last foray after our men. His face looked burnt,
tanned by the sun.
I started
to work carefully on the shaving soap. I scraped some slices from the
cake, dropped them into the mug, then added a little lukewarm water
and stirred with the brush. The later soon began to rise.
"The
fellows in the troop must have just about as much beard as I." I
went on stirring up lather.
"But
we did very well, you know. We caught the leaders. Some of them we
brought back dead; others are still alive. But they'll all be dead
soon."
2. What can you
add to your chart? Why are the following words, keys to opening up
this story and what is going on here?
"our men"
"troop"
"leaders"
“How
many did you take?” I asked.
“Fourteen.
We had to go pretty far in to find them. But now they're paying for
it. And not one will escape; not a single one.”
He leaned back
in the chair when he saw the brush in my hand, full of lather. I had
not yet put the sheet on him. I was certainly flustered. Taking a
sheet from the drawer, I tied it around my customer's neck.
He went on
talking. He evidently took it for granted that I was on the side of
the existing regime.
3. What can you
add to your chart? What insight do the following words give us?
"existing
regime"
"our men"
“The
people must have gotten a scare with what happened the other day,”he
said.
“Yes,”
I replied, as I finished tying the know against his nape, which smelt
of sweat.
“Good
show, wasn't it?”
“Very
good,” I answered, turning my attention now to the brush. The man
closed his eyes wearily and awaited the cool caress of the lather.
I had
never had him so close before. The day he ordered the people to file
through the schoolyard to look upon the four rebels hanging there, my
path had crossed his briefly. But the sight of those mutilated bodies
kept me from paying attention to the face of the man who had been
directing it, all and whom I now had in my hands.
It was not
a disagreeable face, certainly. And the beard, which aged him a bit,
was not unbecoming. His name was Torres. Captain Torres.
4. What can you
add to chart #1 now?
I started
to lay on the first coat of lather. He kept his eyes closed.
“I
would love to catch a nap,” he said, “but there's a lot to be
done this evening.”
I lifted
the brush and asked with pretended indifference: “A firing party?”
"Something
of the sort,” he replied, “but slower.”
"All
of them?”
“No,
just a few.”
I went on
lathering his face. My hands began to tremble again. The man could
not be aware of this, which was lucky for me. But I wished he had not
come in. Probably many of our men had seen him enter the shop. And
with the enemy in my house I felt a certain responsibility.
5. Discuss what he
means by 'responsibility' here? Who is he referring to? What do they
think he should do?
I would
have to shave his beard just like any other, carefully, neatly, just
as though he were a good customer, taking heed that not a single pore
should emit a drop of blood. Seeing to it that the blade did not slip
in the small whorls. Taking care that the skin was left clean, soft,
shining, so that when I passed the back of my hand over it not a
single hair should be felt. Yes, I was secretly a revolutionary but
at the same time I was a conscientious barber, proud of the way I did
my job. And that four day beard presented a challenge.
6. What are two of
his identities? How are they now in conflict? How do they led to
different actions and paths? Fill in on chart #1.
I took up
the razor, opened the handle wide, releasing the blade, and started
to work, downward from one side burn. The blade responded to
perfection. The hair was tough and hard; not very long, but thick.
Little by little the skin began to show through. The razor gave out
its usual sound as it gathered up layers of soap mixed with bits of
hair. I paused to wipe it clean, and taking up the strop once more
went about improving its edge, for I am a painstaking barber.
The man,
who had kept his eyes closed, now opened them, put a hand out from
under the sheet, felt of the part of his face that was emerging from
the lather, and said to me, “Come at six o’clock this evening to
the school.”
“Will
it be like the other day?” I asked, stiff with horror.
“It
may be even better,” he replied.
"What
are you planning to do?”
“I'm
not sure yet. But we'll have a good time.”
Once more
he leaned back and shut his eyes. I came closer, the razor on high.
“Are
you going to punish all of them?” I timidly ventured.
“Yes,
all of them.”
The later
was drying on his face. I must hurry. Through the mirror, I took a
look at the street. It appeared about as usual; there was the grocery
shop with two or three customers. Then I glanced at the clock,
two-thirty.
7. Now work on
chart 2 on Conflict: Fill in each category for the each of these men.
Identities
How that affects his view of others What behavior would result?
1. barber
2. Captain Torres
The razor
kept descending. Now from the other side burn downward. It was a blue
beard, a thick one. He should let it grow like some poets, or some
priests. It would suit him well. May people would not recognize him.
And that would be a good thing for him, I thought, as I went gently
over all the throat line. At this point you really had to handle your
blade skilful, because the hair, while scantier, tended to fall into
small whorls. It was a curly beard. The pores might open, minutely ,
in this area and let out a tiny drop of blood. A good barber like
myself stakes his reputation on not permitting that to happen to any
of his customers.
And this
was indeed a special customer. How many of ours had he sent to their
death? How many had he mutilated? It was best not to think about it.
Torres did not know I was his enemy. Neither he nor the others knew
it. It was a secret shared by very few, just because that made it
possible or me to inform the revolutionaries about Torres's
activities in the town and what the planned to do every time he went
on one of his raids to hunt down rebels. So it was going to be very
difficult to explain how it was that I had him in my hands ad then
let him go in peace, alive, clean-shaven.
8. What can you
now add to chart 2? How does this illuminate the conflict this man is
facing?
His beard
had now almost entirely disappeared. He looked younger, several years
younger than when he had come in. I suppose that always happens to
men who enter and leave barbershops. Under the strokes of my razor,
Torres was rejuvenated; yes, because I am a good barber, the best in
this town, and I say this in all modesty.
A
little more lather here under the chin, on the Adam's apple, right
near the great vein. How hot it is! Torres must be sweating just as I
am. But he is not afraid. He is a tranquil man, who is not even
giving thought to what he will do to his prisoners this evening. I,
on the other hand, polishing his skin with this razor but avoiding
the drawing of blood, careful with every stroke – I cannot keep my
thoughts in order.
Confound
the hour he entered my shop! I am a revolutionary but not a murderer.
9. "I am a
revolutionary not a murderer." Try to explain this statement in
your own words. Where do these overlap? Where do they differentiate?
And it
would be so easy to kill him. He deserves it. Or does he?No! No one
deserves the sacrifice others make in becoming assassins. What is to
be gained by it? Nothing. Others and still others keep coming, and
the first kill the second, and then these kill the next, and so on
until everything becomes a sea of blood. I could cut his throat, so,
swish, swish! He would not even have time to moan, and with his eyes
shut he would not even see the shine of the razor or the gleam in my
eye.
10. Rewrite this
passage in your own words and explain. Can you think of any examples
to support this idea from history or current events?
I'm sure
that with a good strong blow, a deep cut, he would feel no pain. He
would not suffer at all. And what would I do then with the body?
Where would I hide it? I would have to flee, leave all this behind,
take shelter far away, very far away. But they would follow until
they caught up with me. “The murderer of Captain Torres. He slit
his throat while he was shaving him. What a cowardly thing to do.”
And others
would ay, “The avenger of our people. A name to remember” - my
name here. “He was the town barber. No one knew he was fighting for
our cause.”
What can you fill
in on chart # 3 of how this barber is attempting to make this
difficult decision by doing a cost benefit analysis.
Choice
Cost Benefit
1.
2.
And
so , which will it be? Murderer or hero? My fate hangs on the edge of
this razor blade. I can turn my wrist slightly, put a bit more
pressure on the blade, let it sink in. The skin will yield like silk,
like rubber, like the strop. There is nothing more tender than a
man's skin, and the blood is always there, ready to burst forth.
A
razor like this cannot fail. It is the best one I have.
Predict what do
you think he will do and why? What do you think you would do and
why?
But
I don't want to be a murderer. No, sir. You came in to be shaved. And
I do my work honorably. I don't want to stain my hands with blood.
Just with lather, and nothing else. You are an executioner; I am only
a barber. Each one to his job. That's it. Each one to his job.
13. What did he
decide and why? How many times do you need to do something for it to
affect your identity and character?
The chin
was now clean, polished, soft. The man got up and looked at himself
in the glass. He ran his hand over the skin and felt its freshness,
its newness.
“Thanks”
he said. He walked to the wardrobe for his belt, his pistol, and his
cap. I must have been very pale, ad I felt my shirt soaked with
sweat. Torres finished adjusting his belt buckle, straightened his
gun in its holster, and smoothing his hair mechanically, put on his
cap. From his trousers pocket he took some coins to pay for the
shave. And he started toward the door. On the threshold he stopped
for a moment, and turning toward me he said,
“They
told me you would kill me. I came to find out if it was true. But
it's not easy to kill. I know what I'm talking about.”
14. Explain in
your own words. How does this change everything you have read and
understood so far?
Homework: Writing
Dialogue
Write a
conversation or dialogue using correct punctuation and format between
- yourself and one
of the characters in the story
- the barber and
his rebel friends as he tries to explain his decision
- the barber and
Captain Torres after his last statement
How
does the author's use of dialogue enhance characterization and raise
interest verses using more narration in this story? Write out the
event of this story without any dialogue. What changes?
Writing
Assignments:
1.
5 paragraph expository essay on theme for this story.
Identify a theme
for this story
Find evidence from
the story to show how the author presents and supports this idea.
How would the
story be written differently to support a different theme from the
same situation?
Work on outline of
both evidence and argumentation to show the theme of this story.
2.
Personal Writing
Journal entry:
Think of a time when you experienced having an identity conflict.
Describe what brought about this conflict and how you responded and
why?
How did you choose
to see yourself and why?
How did it turn
out and why?
If you could go
back and do anything differently, what would you and why?
3.
Research Assignment
Using the
Internet, look up background information on the author and the
history of the country he is from. Write how this affects your
understanding of the story. Also look up any present day examples
and explain how they relate to the ideas presented in this story.
Sample
Resources:
people who look like their dogs –
funny but true photos
