A foil for

Question

Does "a foil for" in the following sentence mean "in contrast to"? Sentence:The use of ‘pidgin’ subjugates the black man as inferior, positioning him as that which is other to the white man, a foil for the white’s man’s own alienation from himself, which he disavows in his misrecognition of himself as superior and as synonymous with his ego ideal.

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

cattttDoes "a foil for" in the following sentence mean "in contrast to"?

*** only knows. I can't make sense of "foil" there, or of the rest of the sentence, for that matter. It sounds like she's casting a spell.

Clive · Answer

Definition of foil

: someone or something that serves as a contrast to another acted as a foil for a comedian

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foil

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

from my Canadian Oxford dictionary.

a person or a thing that enhances the qualities of another by contrast.

(Note that this definition includes the idea that a foil not only contrasts but also enhances.)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I, too, have trouble understanding what the writer is trying to say. But I think the general idea seems to be that white people try to make themselves seem better by setting black people up as inferior.

Clive

A foil for

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions