This is a great question and one you may benefit from asking in
the discussion postings of this group to gain a range of different views and responses. This
clearly is the central issue that is raised in this excellent short story, and I think it is
clear that the barber comes to the conclusion that violence is not justified - at least if he has
to perform it. He comes to understand that Captain Torres is just a human like himself, trying to
do his job to the best of his ability, and he also recognises that to commit a murder is not an
easy feat to achieve.
I must admit, if I were in the same position
as the barber, I would be unable to kill Captain Torres for the same reasons. I also think we
have enough historical examples of political change being brought about peacefully -
consider Gandhi in India or the Civil Rights movement in the States which were both successful
because of the absence of violence in their campaigns. I look at these historical examples of
successful non-violent political resistance and they give me hope that if I were unfortunate to
live in a state where I felt I had to protest, I could do so effectively in a non-violent
fashion.
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