In countless literary works, authors create a character that acts as a parallel to the protagonist. These characters, called foils or foil characters, are compared to the protagonist in such a way to highlight specific qualities or character development. One such foil character is Tom Sawyer from Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Tom is a character that represents society along with its ideals and tendencies. Huck changes from a character that is only slightly different than the general population to someone who is tolerant and mature. Twain deliberately uses Tom’s personality to accentuate the change Huck has undergone throughout the story. Experience: As far as experiences go, Huck had seen and done far more than Tom, even at the beginning. His father, an abusive alcoholic, forced Huck out of his innocence at a young age. He was exposed to cruelty and rage that many people never see, which he …show more content…
Tom Sawyer is a static character--he doesn’t undergo any character development, and only acts as a reference point with which Huck is compared throughout the story. While it is kind of Twain to provide Huck a friend when he needs one, by the end of the story, Tom no longer understands Huck. The change of their friendship dynamic provides an example of Huck’s growth. Although Tom and Huck remain friends, they can never be as close as they once were. Tom had not been on any of Huck’s adventures or shared in his eye-opening experiences that caused him to change as a character. The comparison of the two makes Huck’s development more obvious to the reader. As for the plot, the comparison between dynamic and static characters creates a barrier of understanding between Huck and Tom, which causes them difficulty as they attempt to free