Foil

Character Role Analysis

The Mute and the Barber

Bright and early on board the Fidèle we witness a foiling between the humble, Bible-quoting man who cannot hear or speak and the gruff barber. They're worlds apart in the messages they convey to the crowd. The mute encourages others to love one another, and he gets pushed and punched for it.

The barber, on the other hand, puts up a "No Trust" sign to indicate that he doesn't accept credit—and nothing happens to him. He is one of the people, and among the people it's normal not to trust the people.

These two represent a divide between innocence crushed in a cold hard world (the mute), which is run by hardened individuals (the barber).