Foil

Character Role Analysis

Polly and Bayard Kelby

The saying that opposites attract might very well be true for Billie Jo's parents, who complement and highlight each other's key traits. Bayard is a committed farmer, dedicated almost to the point of insanity, even when the situation begins to look bleaker every day. By contrast, Polly is more of a realist—she sees the situation in the Dust Bowl for what it is, trying to convince him that trying new farming techniques or crops could save their family, which is ultimately more important than his pride or desire to succeed as a wheat farmer.

Though Ma dies, her influence over Bayard doesn't stop there. When we see him digging the pond, we know not only that he carries her forward, but that he's letting go of some of his stubbornness in favor of figuring out better ways to survive.