Foil

Character Role Analysis

Hà and Mother

Hà can be impulsive sometimes, but Mother is not—she thinks hard about things before making decision. During the family meeting about leaving Saigon, for example, Hà writes of her mother: "Her brows twist/ so much/ we hush" (1.21.10). In other words, Mother is thinking hard about this question, looking at pros and cons carefully, and this thoughtful approach shows Hà, and readers, that Mother is trustworthy.

Hà, on the other hand, is still young, and doesn't always make good choices. So when she is feeling upset and impatient at school, for instance, about having to leave early, she pinches the girl sitting next to her (1.18.9). It's an impulsive response to bad news, and it stands in stark contrast to Mother's more measured response to the bad news that is the Vietnam War.

Foils are all about contrast, about showing us things about characters through the ways in which they are different from each other. Are there people other than Mother who you think might fit the bill as Hà's foil?