So my theme is "the courage to stand up to an enemy" how would I write a thesis statement about this? I am currently stuck on this. Need help.

Thanks

What have you written so far? (substitute "bully" for "enemy")

Right now I have

In Hernando Tellez "Just rather, that's all"

I don't know how to write a thesis statement in a theme paragragh

A thesis statement requires argument and support. It states plainly what you are trying to persuade your readers to believe.

What do you want your readers to believe?

I want them to believe that "it takes courage to stand up to an enemy"

Have you read the short story?

Yes

Who are the two main characters?

The barber and the captain (soilder)

You do realize the correct title is "Just Lather, That's All."

"Lather," not "rather," like you wrote.

Oh, sorry about that, I just realized that

What's the main idea of the story (in ten words or less)?

There is this soiler who came into the barber shop to get his beard (neck) shaved. The barber knows that he kills people and his has the shaving blade. He was deciding to kill him (slicing his throat) but he didn't. This barber has the sharpest shaving blade in town

And [he] has the shaving blade

Sorry for the typo

Then the soilder said at the end "they told me that you'd kill me. I came to find out But killing isn't easy. You can take my word for it"

So what is the tension in the story? The irony?

The tension is that the barber could have killed the soilder because the soilder kills other people (innocent people). But the barber stepped back because he thought about his future. Like if I killed him I have to leave everything and start a new life, I will loose my respect in this town etc...

You're thinking too much.

What's the tension--short and sweet explanation.

Baber was going to slice his throat with his shaving blade while the soilder was on the chair. Tension is on the barber should I kill him or not.

No.

Through the whole story, we read the thoughts of the barber struggling with himself whether to kill the Captain who is murdering people in the barber's village.

Okay so far?

Yes

And the Captain could have killed the barber at any time. Right?

Nope, once he was done his shave he left

The Captain could have killed the barber any time he was in the barbershop.

But the Captain, while he was in the shop, DID NOT kill the barber who was an enemy. Why not?

Nope, once that barber was done shaving, the captain said "they told me that you'd kill me. I came to find out. But killing isn't easy. You can take my word for it". Then the captain left the shop once he is done saying this

You're overthinking it again and going too fast. Answer my question just before this screen.

Captain was there to find out if the barber would killed him

Not true. Why did the captain come into the barber shop?

Captain came to the barber shop to see if the barber would sliced his throat. Because the captain would kill rebel people. The barber is a rebel and he knows that the captain kills rebel people. This was a chance for the barber to kill him (to get revenge) of what the soilder have done to his people. However the barber thought about his future. He the barber had killed him, he had to give up everything and move to a different city. But he does not want do this. So the barber did not sliced his throat.

No. You are thinking too hard. Why did the captain come into the barber shop?

here is the summary from

Just Lather, That s All- Summary - Research Paper - Ramankaur05 (http://www.oppapers.com/essays/Just-Lather-That-s-All-Summary/492162)

The short story Just Lather, That's All, written by Hernando Tellez, is set in a barbershop in a small Colombian town. Captain Torres walks in the barbershop for a shave. The barber began to tremble when he recognized Captain Torres, and secretly Captain Torres is his enemy. The barber doesn't like Captain because he was against the rebels and he also killed many rebels with pleasure. The barber hates him because of what he did with the rebels since the barber is a rebel himself. The barber struggles with his inner conflict. He is really confused and scared about what he should do and what not. He also thinks about the consequences he will get if he kills the Captain or whether he will. Become a town hero. As he is shaving the Captain he struggles within himself to decide whether to kill Captain Torres or not. The barber is frustrated with his hatred for the Captain and his values for human life. After all that thought he decides not to kill Caption Torres. He believes he is a professional barber and is here to give him a shave. Once Captain Torres is done shaving he tells the barber “They told me that you'd kill me. I came to find out. But killing isn't easy. You can take my word for it.” This quote clearly explains that even the Captain finds killing people a hard task and that not all rebels are enemies. The main message of the story is that everyone has their own place in the scheme of things.

Please answer my question.

Why did the captain come into the barber shop? Three words will do it.

Captain came to see if the barber would kill him. The barber enemy is the captain

Again I ask, Why did the captain come into the barber shop?

To see if the barber would kill him.

He was testing him if the barber would kill him.

Oh, come on. What happens during most of the story? Why is the captain there in the barber shop?

The captain came to get his beard shaved.

Yes, thank you (finally!! ). The captain came in to get his beard shaved.

Why didn't the barber kill the captain? Two reasons.

Yes.

So my theme is "it takes courage to stand up to an enemy" how would I write a thesis statement about this? I am currently stuck on this. Need help.

The barber did not killed him because he thought about his future. If he had killed him he would have to start a new life by leaving the city and going to another town. He would also lose his respect

Slow down. We have to do this the right way, or you will never be able to put together a thesis statement.

Why didn't the barber kill the captain? -- two reasons.

That's one reason --the barber knew he would never get away with it, would be killed by the captain's soldiers.

What's the main reason the barber didn't kill the captain?

- He did not want to leave his town
- if he did leave town the town people would follow him and follow him

No, no, no.

What is the main reason the barber did not kill the captain?

Plus the barber mentioned that " i perform my work honorably.... I dont want blood on my hands"

Sooooooooooooooo, the barber did not kill him because...

He did not want blood on his hand and he perform his work honorably

"You came to me for a shave. ... I am only a barber."

He does not want blood on his hands --------------No. HE IS A BARBER, AND A VERY GOOD BARBER!

Now for the theme -- "the courage to stand up to an enemy"

Who is the enemy?

Who stood up to his enemy?

That's why he did not kill the captain

The enemy is the captain

The barber had courage standing against him

Was the barber the captain's enemy and could have killed him, but didn't?

There are TWO enemies.

Yes barber enemy is the captain

There is only 1 enemy

There are TWO enemies.

The captain is the barber's enemy.

The barber is the captain's enemy.

Only one

The barber is the captain's enemy

TWO. Otherwise, the story makes no sense.

barber's enemy = captain

captain's enemy = barber

Yes two enemies, my bad

So, the theme -- "the courage to stand up to an enemy" -- the barber stood up to the captain, and the captain stood up to the barber.

The captain had the courage to sit in the barber chair and allow his enemy to use a very sharp razor around his throat to shave him.

The barber had the courage to allow his enemy to sit in his chair and then to shave him without killing him -- and that took more courage to NOT kill him than it would to kill him.

Are you with me, or not?

Yes

Can you write a thesis statement now?

I think so, but I'm still stuck

It's is all but written for you. What on earth are you stuck on?

Is this good

In Hernado Tellez Just Lather, that's all, the captain Torres had the courage to sit on a barbers chair and allow his enemy to use a ver sharp razor to shave around his throat.

No, that is not a thesis statement. It is a statement of fact.

A thesis statement is the main idea that you are trying to convey in your work. It states plainly what you are trying to persuade your readers to believe. Therefore, a thesis cannot be a simple statement of fact, because a statement of fact does not require persuasive argument.

I have got it

Thank You for your help

What is your thesis statement?

Risking your life takes a lot of courage to sit on the enemys chair

There are TWO enemies!!

Everything you need for a good thesis statement is in this box (from posts we have made in this thread) --

A thesis statement requires argument and support. It states plainly what you are trying to persuade your readers to believe.

What do you want your readers to believe?

So, the theme -- "the courage to stand up to an enemy" -- the barber stood up to the captain, and the captain stood up to the barber.

The captain had the courage to sit in the barber chair and allow his enemy to use a very sharp razor around his throat to shave him.

The barber had the courage to allow his enemy to sit in his chair and then to shave him without killing him -- and that took more courage to NOT kill him than it would to kill him.

Thanks

And thank you for so patiently working with me on this. I hope you come up with a good thesis statement.