Foil
The Mayor of Casterbridge
by Thomas Hardy

The Mayor of Casterbridge: Foil 1 key example

Chapter 12
Explanation and Analysis—Farfrae and Henchard:

Hardy uses the fastidiousness, intellectualism, and coolness of the young Donald Farfrae as a foil for the character of the warm, rash, and ebullient Mr. Henchard. For instance, in Chapter 12, after watching Farfrae attempt to organize the accounts of his corn business, Henchard asks him to come to dinner with him. Farfrae would have preferred to keep working but instead decides to go with him:

Donald had wished to get to his lodgings; but he already saw that his friend and employer was a man who knew no moderation in his requests and impulses, and he yielded gracefully. He liked Henchard’s warmth, even if it inconvenienced him; the great difference in their characters adding to the liking.