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What is a character who is used as a contrast to another character?
In any narrative, a foil is a character who contrasts with another character; typically, a character who contrasts with the protagonist, in order to better highlight or differentiate certain qualities of the protagonist. In some cases, a subplot can be used as a foil to the main plot.
What does it mean to be a foil character?
A literary foil is a character whose purpose is to accentuate or draw attention to the qualities of another character, most often the protagonist. This literary term is named after an old jewelry trick of setting a gem on a foil base to enhance its shine.
What is an example of a foil character?
These are characters with contrasting personalities or traits. For example, if one character is outgoing, their foil character might be shy. If one character is a hero, their foil character might be a villain. While an antagonist and protagonist can be foil characters, so can a sidekick.
How do you compare and contrast characters in a story?
A final strategy for comparing and contrasting is to analyze character dialogue, or spoken words. Just like the other two methods, look for evidence in speech that will show a more in-depth understanding of a character.
What makes a good main character in a story?
The main characters in a story drive plot, attract readers’ empathy (or loathing) and carry your story along. Knowing how to write a lovable, loathsome, or otherwise engaging main character is a vital skill for authors.
How do you analyze character behavior in literature?
Another important aspect of character behavior can be analyzed using character foils, which are characters placed in similar situations, but who make different choices. An author usually places a foil in a story in order to emphasize a choice or trait of the main character.
What does a character want?
The simplest is, A character wants something badly and has to struggle to get it. The character is the protagonist, or hero. His struggle is the plot. What he wants is the story question that must be answered, one way or another, by the end. Stories move us only when they allow us to feel how it would be to experience the hero’s struggle.