Foil

Character Role Analysis

Austin and Lee

By this point there should be no doubt about the fact that these two characters simply dominate the show. The actor playing Mom gets to hang out backstage until a few minutes before it's over, and the guy playing Saul gets to pack things up about halfway through. Austin and Lee, on the other hand, almost never leave the stage.

Due to their magnitude, they transcend simple protagonist/antagonist roles. They also serve as foils throughout. Austin represents the New West—the idea that the world is a protected suburb made up of rational, civilized people. Lee, on the other hand, stands in for the Old West of violence, betrayal, and animal brutality. Austin's journey from one to the other is really the heart of the play.