Foil

Character Role Analysis

Tom and Edward

Tom and Edward make the perfect foils. Since foils are characters who are mainly the same except for one or two key features, they fit the bill exactly. We mean, they're so much alike that their own family members can't even tell them apart; the key difference is their poverty (Tom) and wealth (Edward).

Twain uses many strategies to emphasize the difference between the two boys. Tom's birth is ignored, while Edwards's celebrated. Edward sleeps until noon because he doesn't have to work, while Tom gets up at the crack of dawn. Edward has fancy clothes, while Tom has rags. They're actually not so different deep down—they're both good kids—but their statuses are completely opposite.