Foil Characters In Saving Sourdi

In “Saving Sourdi” by May-Lee Chai, the author uses foil characters in the relationship of two sisters, Nea and Sourdi. Their contrasting personalities are at the center of the plot. In fictional stories, “The main purpose of a character foil is to highlights the opposite traits of the main character”(Development of Characters). The foil character is Sourdi, her personality traits are opposite of the main character, Nea. The contrast allows Nea, the protagonist, to stand out more distinctly. The author shows the reader that Nea is headstrong, impulsive, and immature. In contrast, Sourdi is more laid back and mature. Examples of the foil are evident throughout the passage. In the scene where Nea stabs a man in the arm for tormenting her sister, her Ma states to Nea,“You not thinking. That your problem. You always not thinking!” (Meyer pg. 83) Nea wanted to protect her sister, but Nea does not think of the consequences for stabbing the man. In contrast, Sourdi always thinks of consequences. Sourdi's response to Nea, “They could take you away. The police, they

The older sister, Sourdi, was raised more in her oriental culture, she understands her role and obeys her elders. Nea was raised more in an American culture and does not understand her Ma or Sourdi”s values. Especially, when Sourdi marries a man for financial security and leaves home. The culture differences attributes to the foil. The two girls also have contrasting physical appearances, Nea states, “She was smooth where I had angles and soft where I was bone”(Meyer pg. 85). The author wants to make sure the reader is visualizing the contrast between Nea, the main character, and Sourdi. The author, May-Lee Cahi, is consistent in using foil characters to points out the immature actions and decisions of Nea, the protagonist, as a tragic hero that does not grow up and mature as life