Foil

Character Role Analysis

Margaret and Laura

Laura is everything Margaret wants to be, at least physically, but Margaret has a group of friends that Laura is sorely lacking, in large part due to being an early bloomer. Margaret spends a good portion of this book disliking Laura because Nancy tells her to, but ultimately Laura exposes Nancy as a liar and kind of mean spirited-person. Through her differences from Margaret—be it her ability to fill out a sweater or her disenchantment with Nancy—Laura helps us better understand Margaret and the ways she changes as the story unfolds.