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What is the definition of foil in literature?
In literature, a foil is a character that has traits which are opposite from one of the main characters, in order to highlight various features of that main character's personality. These features can be physical (such as Sancho Panza being overly fat, to emphasize how incredibly thin Don Quixote is) or emotional (Lucius Malfoy is especially cunning and sinister, making Professor Dumbledore appear even nobler by comparison).
A character who highlights by contrast the qualities of the main character is known as the?
A foil. Some famous examples of foils in literature are Frankenstein and his monster and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Often, a character and his/her foil will be either very similar with one key difference or extremely different entirely.
What is a foil character?
Literally, a foil is a fencing sword, used primarily in sparring. A fencer who wants to improve his performance would spar with someone who is as good or better than he is. Metaphorically, therefore, a foil is any character whose appearance in the story serves to bring out the characteristics of the main character more clearly, usually by acting in conflict with or in contrast to that character.
What is the role of a foil in literary work?
The purpose of a foil is to accentuation the characteristic of one character through contrast.Such is the purpose of many side-kicks. Doctor Watson for example. His main purpose is to enhance the characteristics of Sherlock Holmes.Often two characters serve as a foil to each other. The primary example of this is Lucy Westenra and Wilhelmina Murray from the novel Dracula. A better example however would be Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck who's mutual antics tend to highlight the eccentricities of each other.The term foil comes from the sport of Fencing where it is the sword used be each combatant. When viewed in this way it can be seen how both the sport and the literature under-take to become something of a duel.A foil is basically a character that is opposite to another character. So their purpose would be to emphasize aspects of a character by serving as a contrast.For example, in A Doll's House by Iben Nora, a manipulative, shallow, middle-class house wife, is foiled by Christine, an honest, hard working, lower-class widow.
What does foil mean?
A foil to a character is another character who acts in an opposite manner or has opposite characteristics. Foils help to show the strengths and flaws of a character through contrast.
