Read the excerpt from "Lather and Nothing Else." 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. 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. Which conflict is revealed in this excerpt?
Answer
A
The barber must choose between hurting an enemy or being an ethical worker.
B
The barber must choose between using a sharp razor or a rubber strop to stop his enemy.
C
The customer is arguing with the barber about his violent activities in the barbershop.
D
The customer is arguing with the barber about becoming a murderer against his will.
Explanation
The barber considers killing the customer by pressing the razor into his skin, but he also believes he should do his work honorably. His conflict is whether to hurt his enemy or remain an ethical barber, which matches choice A. Choice B is wrong because the strop is only used as a comparison; the barber is not deciding between two tools.
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