Foil

Character Role Analysis

The Lieutenant—The Priest

The lieutenant seems to be the novel's villain, but he's really more of a foil for the priest. They have their obvious differences, of course. The lieutenant has power and money and hates the Church the beggar priest serves. However, they are not all that different. Both men have strong convictions about how the world ought to be, and they are both willing to sacrifice everything (themselves and others) to do their duty.