Dilemmas are what make us; they bring out conflict within the decision makers. Conflict is used in both; “Just Lather That’s All,” by Hernando Tellez and “Gregory,” by Panus Ioannides. Conflict and dilemma is shown by the symbolism, which is portrayed in both stories weapon of choice which happen to be a gun, in “Gregory,” and a blade, in “Just Lather That’s All.” Both stories show isolation with the indecision both the barber, of “Just Lather-” and the narrarator of “Gregory” go through

                In “Just lather-”, Tellez uses the barber’s blade to depict conflict, which can evidently lead into a dilemma, either between two people, or between the person’s self. For example, a person was asked to kill someone, because if they do not there friend dies. The conflict within the person is another word for dilemma. In “Gregory,” Ioannides uses a gun to portray this dilemma, because like my previous example, he has been given the choice to kill, or be a good friend. The barber thinks about his profession and his loyalty to the rebellion, by killing Captain Torres, as seen when: the barber thinks to himself, “The skin would give away like silk…” (Tellez 2). It means that the barber was thinking about using his blade each time he thought about assassinating Torres. In “Gregory,” Ioannides, its Ironic that he uses a gun, too depict them being apart, where as in “Just Lather-”, it is up close, between two enemies.

                Isolation, in the literal form, means to be taken away and secluded from the basses, but in “Just Lather-”, and “Gregory” it’s shown how both authors use suspense in their stories. In “Just Lather-”, the barber cannot choose whether to be a killer or to stay true to his profession, which was expanded on by him, as he was mentioning the barber code. Tellez use of description to making the readers anxious, because the barber was always going in for the kill, then stopping at the last second to rethink it. This repetition of actions was his greatest use of suspense in the story. Ioannides, shows us that the soldier is isolated by the dilemma he’s given, though he really isn’t; because Gregory was given the chance to escape, yet stayed for his friends, he made this decision by him own whim, so, Gregory was in it for the soldier, helping him make the decision for him.

                In the end, Gregory, the friend dies, and Torres, the suspected Tyrant lives. These authors create dramatic endings with their use of suspense, and isolation, and even more so the description. The dilemma both the barber and the soldier faced showed there contradiction to their loyalties, whether it was a friend, in “Gregory,” or their affiliation, in “Just Lather-”.