There is a major discrepancy between appearances and who and what a person really is. People are multi-facetted, and they are not always what they appear to be. This theme is evident in the characters of the short stories: Just Lather, That's All, and The Catbird Seat. The barber and Captain Torres in Just Lather, That's All, are not exactly who they appear to be. In The Catbird Seat, Mrs. Ulgine Barrows is two-faced and Mr. Martin isn't as predictable as everyone thinks he is.

Firstly, in Just Lather, That's All, the barber is not what he seems to be. He is no ordinary barber, but an undercover revolutionary who collects information and informs the rest of the members of his rebel group. And when the enemy, Captain Torres, comes in for a shave, the barber, who we would not expect to be a murderer, battles within himself...