Anne of Green Gables: Foil 2 key examples

Here, Gilbert makes Anne feel like an outsider by making fun of her hair in front of an entire class. He calls her braids "carrots" to remind her of their strange color. She responds by refusing to attend school or acknowledge Gilbert's existence. However, by the end of the novel, Anne and Gilbert learn to look beyond their differences and become good friends. Gilbert's sacrifice of his teaching position at Avonlea becomes a catalyst for their friendship. 

This interesting pair of foils evolves from protagonist and antagonist into a pair of good friends. This develops the novel as a bildungsroman and underscores the idea that people can change and grow into mature adults. Despite the fact that Gilbert embarrassed Anne early on in the story, he manages to win her back with an act of selflessness. They later become more than friends: Anne of Green Gables is the first of many books in a series in which Anne and Gilbert eventually get married. By making them foil characters in the first book, Montgomery cultivates the reader's interest in their story and heightens the emotional contrast between their initial encounter and their eventual fate.

In a previous scene, Marilla had expressed disapproval of puffed sleeves and instead made three conservative dresses for Anne. But Matthew sees "no harm" in letting Anne wear a dress with puffed sleeves. He goes all the way to Carmody to buy it, and, crippled by awkwardness, purchases 20 pounds of sugar instead. He then decides that he needs a friend's assistance and asks Mrs. Lynde to buy and sew the dress. The great lengths to which he goes demonstrate his commitment to improving Anne's life. 

By contrast, Marilla is strict and sarcastic and requires Anne to do many chores. Given that Anne is "old enough to be of some use in doing chores right off and young enough to be trained up proper," Marilla believes that she can successfully train Anne to be a helpful and moral member of Green Gables. She also prioritizes religion and makes sure that Anne learns the Lord's Prayer rather than going out into nature and "feel[ing] a prayer" as Anne is accustomed to doing. Anne sometimes feels stifled by Marilla's moralizing, but the two manage to eke out a grudging friendship that blossoms into mutual respect when Anne matures into a young adult. Matthew and Marilla create a balanced upbringing for Anne, who might have become too spoiled or too bitter under just one of their methods. This pair of foil characters also gives the story emotional texture by creating a pattern of disagreement, resolution, and evolution throughout the story.