Of the many ways novelists communicate their message through literary elements and devices, perhaps one of the most important is through the portrayal of characters. By developing characters, novelists can express ideas and comments, and this can be further enriched by providing a complement. Conventionally defined as another character in contrast to the main character, a foil helps emphasize the latter's attributes while reinforcing the message of the story. The two novels featuring sheets discussed in the last 4 years are Jane Austen's 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice and Kate Chopin's 1899 novel The Awakening. In the novels The Awakening and Pride and Prejudice the characteristic contrasts encountered by Edna Pontellier and Adele Ratignolle come together in Charlotte Lucas and Elizabeth Bennet, as they ignite their individual qualities which not only contrast with each other but, through comparison, help to illustrate themes important. concerning the life of submission and dependence that women led during the nineteenth century. To understand how the foil brings out the characteristics of the main characters and the message that the authors communicate, it is first necessary to observe the differences between the main characters and the foils. In Austen's Pride and Prejudice, one of the minor characters is Charlotte Lucas, who is Elizabeth Bennet's friend. Even though his role in the novel is relatively small, his actions are still significant to understanding Elizabeth. In the novel, Charlotte hastily agrees to marry Mr. Collins. At age 27, Charlotte already qualifies to be an old maid and therefore feels pressure to marry unless she grows old poor and alone. The pressure in turn represents Charlotte as...... middle of paper......, it is clear that Charlotte and Adele do not simply serve to highlight Elizabeth and Edna's attributes; rather, the differences that result from their juxtaposition with the protagonists also anticipate the issues that women faced in the 19th century. In Pride and Prejudice, Charlotte's desire to marry anyone regardless of her feelings, contrasted with Elizabeth's uncompromising search for true love, highlights women's dependence on marriage for their well-being. Charlotte's plight is nothing more than a representation of how women of the time were actually constrained by the only option they had. Likewise, Adele's blind obedience to social dictates, as opposed to Edna's rejection of gender roles, emphasizes the limits imposed by women. These two novels describe two different aspects of the same general issue: women's dependence and submission to men's power..