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Foil (narrative)
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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.[2][3][4] A foil to the protagonist may also be the antagonist of the plot.[5]
In some cases, a subplot can be used as a foil to the main plot. This is especially true in the case of metafiction and the "story within a story" motif.[6]
A foil usually either differs dramatically or is an extreme comparison that is made to contrast a difference between two things.[7] Thomas F. Gieryn places these uses of literary foils into three categories, which Tamara A. P. Metze explains as: those that emphasize the heightened contrast (this is different because ...), those that operate by exclusion (this is not X because...), and those that assign blame ("due to the slow decision-making procedures of government...").[8]
- ^ Corwin, Norman (1 April 1978). Holes in a stained glass window. L. Stuart. ISBN 9780818402555. Retrieved 3 March 2013.
- ^ "foil | literature | Encyclopædia Britannica". Britannica.com. Retrieved 18 February 2015.
- ^ "Home : Oxford English Dictionary". Oed.com. Retrieved 18 February 2015.
- ^ Auger, Peter (August 2010). The Anthem Dictionary of Literary Terms and Theory. Anthem Press. pp. 114–. ISBN 9780857286703. Retrieved 3 March 2013.
- ^ "What is a Foil? Definition, Examples of Literary Foil Characters". writingexplained.org/. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
- ^ "Chegg Study | Guided Solutions and Study Help | Chegg.com". Cramster.com. Archived from the original on 5 October 2011. Retrieved 18 February 2015.
- ^ "Define Foil at Dictionary.com". Original publisher, Collins World English Dictionary, reprinted at Dictionary.com. Retrieved 3 March 2013.
- ^ Metze, Tamara Antoine Pauline (2010). Innovation Ltd. Eburon Uitgeverij B.V. pp. 61–. ISBN 9789059724532. Retrieved 3 March 2013.
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