The Challenge of Recognizing and Eliminating Unconscious Evil In life, it is crucial for individuals to challenge themselves for the exhilaration of victory and to form proud achievements to look back on. The individual must overcome this challenge effectively not only to benefit himself, but also to improve the lives of those around him. “Lather and Nothing Else” by Hernando Tellez and “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allen Poe both illustrate a difficult situation that the protagonists are forced to overcome. In both of these stories, the barber and the murderer demonstrate that the evil that exists in the world must be acknowledged. It is therefore the responsibility of the individual who recognizes this evil to accept the challenge of eliminating it to benefit himself and others. Through many situations a character may be forced to encounter, the individual must be able to recognize evil. In “Lather and Nothing Else”, the barber recognizes the captain's wickedness as an executioner and immediately harbors a strong hatred towards him. While shaving the captain's beard, the barber thinks to himself: "And an enemy under his own roof imposes certain conditions" (Tellez). He already sees the captain through the perspective of an enemy even though he hasn't done anything to harm him on a personal level. The barber is forced into the situation where he receives an executioner as a client. He is able to recognize evil in an individual who often punishes and puts people to death, despite it being his duty. Receiving this man as a customer, the barber is forced to face a difficult situation that he must overcome. It is crucial for him to recognize this evil to protect himself and others from... middle of paper... killing the old man demonstrates both an individual who accepts the challenge of eliminating the evil in their situation. The two stories clearly show an individual who recognizes the evil in his life and challenges himself to banish it. If evil is not eliminated after becoming aware of it, they and others will live in constant danger and vulnerability. Society will be transformed into a place of inequality and prejudice. This is the world we live in today, because unlike the murderer, many people do not take responsibility for their evil actions, and, unlike the barber, people often choose not to benefit society by eliminating evil that is not associated with themselves. If more individuals took the opportunity to successfully overcome these types of difficult situations, the world would inhabit a peace that resonates within itself..