Among the many ways in which novelists communicate their message through literary elements and devices, perhaps one of the most important is the depiction of characters. By developing characters, novelists can express ideas as well as comments, and this can be further enriched by providing a foil. Classically defined as another character who contrasts with the main character, a foil helps emphasize the latter's attributes while reinforcing the message of the story. The two novels that feature films discussed in the last four years are Jane Austen's 1813 novel, Pride and Prejudice, and Kate Chopin's 1899 novel, The Awakening. In the novels Awakening and Pride and Prejudice, the characteristic foils encountered in Edna Pontellier and Adèle Ratignolle flow into Charlotte Lucas and Elizabeth Bennet, as they inflame their individual qualities which not only contrast with each other, but help by comparison to illustrate important themes. on the life of submission and dependence that women led in the 19th century. In order to understand how the foil brings out the attributes of the main characters and the message the authors are communicating, we must first observe the differences between the main characters and the foils. . In Austen's Pride and Prejudice, one of the minor characters is Charlotte Lucas, who is Elizabeth Bennet's friend. Although her role in the novel is relatively small, her actions are nevertheless significant for understanding Elizabeth. In the novel, Charlotte hastily agrees to marry Mr. Collins. At the age of 27, Charlotte is already considered an old maid and therefore feels the pressure to marry unless she grows old poor and alone. Pressure, in turn, represents Charlotte as... middle of paper ...... it is clear that Charlotte and Adele do not simply serve to emphasize the attributes of Elizabeth and Edna; rather, the differences that result from their juxtaposition with the protagonists also advance the issues that women faced in the 19th century. In Pride and Prejudice, Charlotte's desire to marry anyone, regardless of her feelings, as opposed to Elizabeth's uncompromising quest for true love, highlights women's dependence on marriage for their own good. -be. Charlotte's predicament is just one representation of how women of the time were effectively bound by the only option they had. Similarly, Adele's blind obedience to social dictates, as opposed to Edna's rejection of gender roles, highlights the limitations imposed by women. These two novels depict two different aspects of the same primordial problem: the dependence of women and submission to the power of men...