Foil

Character Role Analysis

Zach and Zach's Dad

At first, it seems like Zach's dad is just a super hard guy. He throws away his son's beloved toys, after all, without even giving the kid a heads up. On the flipside, Zach seems like a victim of an inaccessible father, someone who's soft inside but has to keep up a tough front for fear of getting hurt. As the story progresses, though, we come to understand that actually Zach's dad is just trying to show his son love—his methods are seriously flawed, yes, but his intentions are good. Kind of like his son's when he quits playing the game without giving his friends the benefit of an explanation why…