Foil

Character Role Analysis

Bill and John

Of course the two closest brothers would end up fighting on opposite sides of the war. And despite their closeness at the beginning of the story, they are very different individuals.

In addition to John being "more impatient, quicker to anger than Bill" (1.92), we also see him as being more outspoken—John has no problem voicing his feelings on the war when Wilse Graham comes to visit. However Bill, who "was a big, silent man" (1.90), internally struggles with the issues of war and clearly spends time weighing each side, as exhibited in his confessions to Jethro. Considered together, John and Bill's differences highlight each brother's qualities.

And remember: John and Bill are like an itty-bitty miniature version of the war, with each taking a different side. So they also remind us of the foils in the Civil War itself: the North and the South, a.k.a. two of the greatest foils of all time.