Foil

Character Role Analysis

Jody and Fodder-wing

Jody and Fodder-wing are friends, and like any good pair of friends, they share some traits: love of animals, special place in the family, maybe a wee bit more sensitivity than the majority of their peers. But, like any good pair of foils, they're also opposites: Fodder-wing comes from a big, wild family and is allowed to have a gazillion pets, while Jody is the only child of a much more sedate family who isn't even allowed to think about having pets.

And there's one more major difference: only Jody gets to become a man. Pity the foil: Fodder-wing has to die for Jody to become a man.

Ma Baxter and Grandma Hutto

Ma is no-nonsense, down-to-earth, and really fat, while Grandma Hutto is a girly-girl who likes the finer things. So, you know, obvious foils. Here, we're pretty sure that the two foils represent two different kinds of motherhood—and maybe two different kinds of potential wives. Which do you think Jody will end up marrying?