Foil

Character Role Analysis

Summer and Jack

Let's face it—Jack doesn't start out being a very good friend. He has to learn a lot about loyalty and friendship and isolation and suffering on his journey through being Auggie's obligatory friend, to being his ex-friend, to finally becoming his best friend again.

Jack can list at least four things about Auggie that make him the kind of friend anyone would want—but he won't sit with August at lunch, or admit to anyone else that he considers him a good friend. In short, Jack has some serious growing up to do before he's comfortable enough with himself to be the kind of friend Auggie deserves.

Summer, on the other hand, is probably the kindest, bravest, and most loyal kid in the story. Her friendship is unwavering, and she defends August to the kids who call him a freak and chooses the authenticity of her friendship with him over the lure of popularity. She knows who she is, and what she wants, and because of this we are more tuned into Jack's journey.

Via and Miranda

Via's pretty sure about who she is, but her best friend, Miranda, is really struggling with identity. Between middle school and high school Miranda reinvents herself, or rather, allows herself to be reinvented by a group of girls at camp. Let's look at the yin-yang relationship between Via and Miranda as their friendship draws its last few breaths:

• Miranda's hair is dyed pink for the start of high school. Via looks the same as ever.
• Miranda attaches herself to the popular crowd. Via finds them kind of shallow, so she seeks out the library, finishes War and Peace, and starts sitting with the smart kids at lunch.
• Miranda steals entire pages out of Via's life, pretending that she has a deformed younger brother. Via, meanwhile, helps her actual, real-life brother through some of his darkest moments.
• Not one single person Miranda knows bothers to show up for the opening night of the play in which she is starring. Via, however, is supported by a warm, loving, family.

But then Miranda gives her opening night role to Via because she sees all of Via's family there. Miranda has missed Via and her family terribly, and this olive branch shows that underneath all the chaos on the surface, the core of their friendship survives.