Foil

Character Role Analysis

Lester and Lill

Lester and Lill both start out with people holding them back, but as their adventure unfolds, they leave behind the things in their lives that make them unhappy and end up finding happiness in each other. Lill battles a terrible job for a tyrannical boss who treats her like crap, while Lester believes the lies that his mother and ex-girlfriend say to him.

The thing is, though, that whereas Lester is pretty meek, Lill has a sturdier spine in her back (otherwise she wouldn't also be in the guide/mentor role), and we can really see how far Lester has to go when Lill rallies quickly after losing her job. Lill presents an alternative way of responding to nastiness and defeat, and in doing so, we see both her and Lester more clearly.

Thankfully though, by the end of the book both Lester and Lill are able to put the people who try to put them down aside, and come together to become much better than they were when they first met.