Mood and Narrative Techniques in "Lather and Nothing Else"

Which words best set a suspenseful scene and create an anxious mood? Check all that apply.

1,3,4,5

Which line from "Lather and Nothing Else." best reveals internal conflict?

And it would be so easy to kill him. He deserves it. Or does he? No!

Which line from "Lather and Nothing Else" best shows the resolution of the barber's inner conflict?

I don't want to stain my hands with blood. Just with lather, and nothing else.

Read the excerpt from "Lather and Nothing Else" 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. How does the author best create suspense in this excerpt?

Short sentences and confused thoughts speed the pace toward the barber's important decision.

Review the excerpt from "Lather and Nothing Else." The lather 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. Which phrases does the author use to quicken the pace and build suspense?

hurry; glanced at the clock

Review the passage from "Lather and Nothing Else." 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. The mood of this passage can best be described as

pleasant.

Choose the word with a positive connotation. Young Farmer Johnson ________ the baby lambs into the pen.

coaxed

Internal ___________ is the struggle that occurs within a character's mind.

conflict

Which excerpt from "Lather and Nothing Else." is the best example of fast-paced narration?

The lather was drying on his face. I must hurry. Through the mirror, I took a look at the street.

How does writer Hernando Tellez use pacing to create suspense in "Lather and Nothing Else"?

The story moves slowly at first, then the tension increases as the barber's inner thoughts become quicker and more intense.