Recitatif

by Toni Morrison

Recitatif: Foil 1 key example

Foil
Explanation and Analysis—Two Mothers:

Roberta's mother is a placid foil to Twyla's rambunctious and wild mother:

We were supposed to have lunch in the teachers’ lounge, but Mary didn’t bring anything, so we picked fur and cellophane grass off the mashed jelly beans and ate them. I could have killed her. I sneaked a look at Roberta. Her mother had brought chicken legs and ham sandwiches and oranges and a whole box of chocolate-covered grahams. Roberta drank milk from a thermos while her mother read the Bible to her.