Kabuliwala

by Rabindranath Tagore

Kabuliwala: Foil 1 key example

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Explanation and Analysis—The Narrator and His Wife:

In “Kabuliwala,” the narrator’s wife acts as a foil for him, meaning that the way in which she differs from him highlights important qualities of his character. In particular, the wife’s nervousness about Rahamat’s closeness with their daughter Mini—as well as her general lack of interest in other places and cultures (such as Rahamat’s native Afghanistan)—highlights the narrator’s worldliness, open-heartedness and ability to connect with people across difference.