Foil

Character Role Analysis

Summer/Cletus

Foil: Summer/Cletus

Summer and Cletus may be the same age, but that's about where the similarities end. Whereas Summer is pragmatic and has very adult responsibilities (like making sure that her Uncle Ob gets out of bed in the morning and is fed), Cletus is dreamy and does weird things like collect potato chip bags. Summer only realizes why they have such different outlooks when she visits Cletus's home and sees that Cletus has had his parents there to care for and love him for his whole life. This is why he doesn't fear mortality and abandonment the way Summer does.