OSU School of Writing, Literature and Film | "What is a Foil?": A Literary Guide for English Students and Teachers @SWLF | Uploaded 2 years ago | Updated 35 seconds ago
What is a foil in literature? What are some examples of foils and how can we identify them? What types of things can foils make shine more brightly? MFA in Fiction student Rebecca Fradkin answers these questions using examples from Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories, Larsen's "Passing," and other common literary and cultural texts.

The short video is designed to help high school and college English students to not only identify foil in literature but also to analyze their characteristics and influence upon plot and theme. A collaborative partnership between Rebecca Fradkin and OSU Associate Professor and MA Director Megan Ward, the video is sponsored by the School of Writing, Literature, and Film at Oregon State University. For more discussions of literary topics and essay writing tips, please subscribe to the channel or visit https://liberalarts.oregonstate.edu/wlf/media/swlf-media-channel.

Spanish subtitles are now available for this video. To access these subtitles, click on the settings icon in the video.

Timestamps
0:00 Foil Definition
0:52 Foil Example#:1 Dr. Watson and Sherlock Holmes
2:16 Foil Example #2: Nella Larson's Passing

Below are a few more videos in the series. Please drop us a comment letting us know what literary terms you would like us to explore in future videos!

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"What is a stanza?": youtu.be/qaXfCSCHBt0​​​​​
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"What is figurative language?": youtu.be/c2CRxHOgxBM​​​​​
"What is irony?': youtu.be/q6e0oNVx8Uk​​​​​
"What is a metaphor?": youtu.be/5mPSFQ1eFUU​​​​​
"What is a simile?": youtu.be/YqJrZ6OoqjU​​​​​
"What is hyperbole?": youtu.be/IzfyNwNpUmA​​​​​
"What is a imagery?": youtu.be/uX413tALG7Q​​​​​
"What is a sonnet?": youtu.be/QmrKmL06J9g​​​​​
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"What is synecdoche?": youtu.be/V3G51sJcvzg​​​​​
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"What is satire?": youtu.be/io58hl1Z0TY​​​​​
"What is juxtaposition?": youtu.be/4KXVPS3FYkQ​​​​​
"What is foreshadowing?": youtu.be/nc-2Jg6b0Dw​​​​​
"What is understatement?": youtu.be/tW3MZ6z8KNA​​​​​
"What is rhyme?": youtu.be/_9oHeL2qI6g​​​​​
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"What is a genre?": youtu.be/Go0Mto2fOXY​​​​​
"What is a narrative arc?": youtu.be/ngpHeQZtS-w​​​​​
"What is a flashback?": youtu.be/tjTauD53Ru4​​​​​
"What is personification?": youtu.be/5GOfjV6u0Co​​​​​
"What is a narrator?": youtu.be/bCNNBxlnkjQ​​​​​
"What is a flat character vs a round character?": youtu.be/IPIBTgPlK5c​​​​​
"What is symbolism?": youtu.be/GR9VbSXxouM​​​​​
"What is a graphic narrative? (Part I)": youtu.be/SPES7Z2fjIY​​​​​
"What is a graphic narrative? (Part II)": youtu.be/KEqQIB5ytcI​​​​​
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"What is poetic meter?": youtu.be/S13Tg3RAUW4​​​​​
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"What are assonance and consonance?": youtu.be/3ZQxhOcnJzE​​
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