Foil

Character Role Analysis

Peppy Miller and George Valentin

Whereas most well-known foils are different from each other, Peppy and George actually have a lot in common. They're both charming, attractive, outgoing, and ambitious.

All these similarities congeal into some healthy competition between our two stars, but when Peppy proves more comfortable with talkies, George gets left in the dust.

Their gender difference adds another dimension to their foildom—Peppy's success as a woman may make George feel like less of a "man" (in the 1920s sense), but she also acts like a mirror for George to see himself in. Peppy uses all her shiny strength to force George to confront his own issues.