1984 - Foil Characters

"'I've got the book,' he said as they disentangled themselves.

'Oh, you've got it? Good,' she said without much interest and almost immediately knelt down beside the oilstove to make the coffee," (200).

The differences between Winston and Julia become the most apparent when he receives Goldstein's novel. Upon receiving the book Winston is excited and craving to know about the past and what he can do to change the future. Julia shows significant disinterest. She seems to care less about the past and future, but more about her present life and happiness. Winston wants to know why things are the way that they are. He seeks knowledge and understanding. Julia just wants to be content with her life and obtain personal pleasure. She seems to give no thought as to why things are the way that they are. She just accepts it and tries to find other ways to compensate for drawbacks to the Party's complete control.

Othello - Question 3

Identify the protagonist and antagonist...

The protagonist of this story is Othello. He is very respected by everyone who knows him despite his racial background. The antagonist is Iago because he devises many plans in order to destroy Othello's loving and respectable nature by making him a jealous man, which will therefore give Iago power. "And by how much [Desdemona] strives to do [Cassio] good, she shall undo her credit with the Moor. So I will turn her virtue into pitch...that shall enmesh them all," (II.iii.322-327). I believe Emilia and Desdemona are foil characters. Emilia is unhappy with her husband and has quite a different relationship with him than Desdemona has with Othello. The rest of the characters greatly assist movement of the plot. Iago, as the greatly persuasive antagonist, uses mainly the male characters to get what he wants. They always follow through with his selfish plans to attain power. Without their trust in Iago, his plans would never be carried out which would eliminate the suspense of the story as discussed in the previous blog entry. The other characters also put their trust in Iago as do all the other main characters, reinforcing that Iago is unbelievably persuasive and cunning.

Foil Characters in "Everyday Use"

While reading "Everyday Use" the first thing I noticed was the difference between the sisters Dee and Maggie. "Dee wanted nice things...She was determined to stare down any disaser in her efforts... At sixteen she had a style of her own: and knew what style was," (175). Maggie on the other hand walked with "chin on chest, eyes on ground, feet in shuffle, ever since that fire burned the other house to the ground," (175). "Maggie will be nervous until after her sister goes: she will stand... homely and ashamed of the burn scars down her arms and legs, eying her sister with a mixture of envy and awe," (173). Dee was confident and very different from the rest of her family. Maggie was obviously more insecure and felt inferior to Dee. Had it not been for the fire and the shame it caused Maggie, it seems that they would not be as great of foils.