Foil

Character Role Analysis

Roma/Aaronow

As we have seen with other character roles, Roma and Aaronow aren't exactly your typical textbook foils. After all, they're never truly at odds with each other. If anything, Roma kind of supports Aaronow, doing his best to try to calm him down before he has to talk to the cops and trying to give him a boost when he's down on himself for not being able to sell.

But if there's no conflict between these two, then how they do serve as foils for each other? Roma does everything he needs to do to sell, and buys into the always be closing sales maxim hook, line, and sinker. This dude wants to be on top, and believes he truly deserves it when he gets there.

On the other hand, we have poor old Aaranow. He knows he's not getting the job done, he hates the work, and he just can't stand anything about the job. He says it best himself:

AARONOW: Oh, God, I hate this job. (2.1.1247-1248)

As chaotic as things get for Roma, and as much as he has to deal with in Act 2 of the play, you never for a second get the feeling that he hates the job. In fact, you kind of see that he loves it.