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In "Just Lather, That's All," how does the author use sensory description to evoke the job of a barber?

In "Just Lather, That's All," the author effectively evokes the job of a barber by employing a number of sensory images. Here are some examples:


  • He uses visual images to describe the barber's shaving preparation. In the first paragraph, for example, he describes how the barber holds his razor up to the light to check it and the rising foam which is caused by mixing the soap and water.

  • He uses auditory images to describe the razor's movement along the captain's skin. The razor "rasped," for example, as it moved from the sideburn to the chin.

  • He uses tactile imagery (relating to touch) to portray the result of the shave. The barber's aim, for instance, is to be able to run the back of his hand across the captain's chin so that he cannot "feel a hair." He is successful in this aim: at the end of the story, the captain rubs his hands over his face and feels the "fresh" and "new" skin. This imagery enables us, the readers, to imagine this sensation.

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