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Flashbacks
Foil
Explanation and Analysis—Mom and Grandmother:
Mary and Naomi—the two maternal figures in Saul’s life—also happen to be character foils. In Indian Horse, they care for Saul, grieve, and come into conflict over their separate understandings of Indigenous identity. More than their imprints in Saul’s childhood, the novel draws attention to the pair’s cultural differences.
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Foil
Explanation and Analysis—Virgil and Leboutilier:
Virgil and Father Leboutilier are foils whose contrasts cannot seem any starker. Though both characters inform Saul’s relationship with hockey, the way they treat him is very different. As the Moose captain, Virgil Kelly makes space on the team for Saul and uplifts him in brotherly fashion. Father Leboutilier, on the other hand, is a pedophile who commits abuse under the cloakings of paternal love. Saul’s adopted sibling welcomes him with open arms and challenges him through cross-town competitions. His coach at St. Jerome’s merely humiliates him.
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