Foil

Character Role Analysis

Doc Burton/Mac

Doc Burton tells Mac that he's down among the workers so much because he's trying to figure out "the bigger picture": he wants to know the truth of what's going on in the fields. He senses that there is a battle going on, but he doesn't know which side to root for. Doc has his theories about what motivates men, and he uses his experiences to test them out. He's also something of a humanitarian, unable to see men suffering without doing something to alleviate it.

Mac has no use for contemplation. He's a thoroughly practical man who thinks of everything—and everyone—in terms of their usefulness to the cause. Doc thinks that Mac and others like him are bound to fail in their mission because they don't take the time to reflect on what they are doing or what they are building through their actions. But Mac tells him that he doesn't have time for metaphysical concerns; the men are starving all around him.