Peter Pan
by J.M. Barrie

Peter Pan: Foil 1 key example

Chapter 1: Peter Breaks Through
Explanation and Analysis—Mr. Darling & Peter Pan:

Mr. Darling and Peter Pan are foil characters, which means that they have diametrically opposite tendencies, habits, and beliefs. Mr. Darling is fussy, exacting, responsible, and above all, practical. He keeps a sharp focus on his family and his finances. He also has "a passion for being exactly like his neighbors." In Chapter 1, the narrator describes his concern about what others think of him:

No nursery could possibly have been conducted more correctly, and Mr. Darling knew it, yet he sometimes wondered uneasily whether the neighbours talked. He had his position in the city to consider.