Foil

Character Role Analysis

John T. Unger and Percy Washington

These two prep school friends are a good candidate for the classic literary foil. John comes from a moderately affluent family, while Percy is the son of the richest man in the world. Wealth impresses John, while it is simply part of daily existence for Percy. Both boys suffer from the same material obsessions, though John is arguably more free than his companion from the prison of Braddock's giant diamond.