Foil

Character Role Analysis

Lord Darlington, Mr. Stevens

They are so much more than master and butler. Besides the big juxtapositions in their lives (one, uh, works for the other; one is rich and one isn't; one is powerful and one isn't) Lord Darlington's path runs parallel to Stevens's, with the key turning points in his life mirroring the turning points in Stevens's life. In other words, when Lord Darlington's life was going well, so was Stevens's. And when Lord Darlington's life wasn't going too well… you can fill in the blank.

Stevens also apes Lord Darlington's ideals. Lord Darlington thinks friendship is magic, Brony-style, and boom!—Friendship is The Most Important Thing Ever for Stevens. When Lord Darlington is accused of being a Nazi sympathizer, Stevens feels almost personally attacked.