As different as day and night: Foil character Dee makes Maggie look downright Saintly

"'Maggie can't appreciate these quilts!' she said. 'She'd probably be backward enough to put them to everyday use.'" Dee pg 180

"'She can have them, Mama,' she said, like somebody used to never winning anything or having anything reserved for her." Maggie pg 180

These two quotes truly highlight just how Dee's wicked behavior makes Maggie look like the most innocent person in the world. Also Maggie's shy and giving behavior make Dee look absolutely sinister. This isn't to say that Dee is the most awful person in the world or that Maggie is a saint. But placing two such contrasting characters so close together heightens that appearance. Dee is simply a selfish brat who is used to getting whatever she wants. She doesn't frequently hear the word "no" so when mama refused her she was shocked. Dee's character really wouldn't look so horrible if Maggie wasn't so innocent. After all Maggie has never had anything go well for her, and she is ashamed by who she is. Yet she is still willing to give up the one thing she was promised because her sister asked for it. This seems so humbling because not two minutes before Dee was insulting her intelligence. This kind of good attitude casts a worse light on Dee. I'm not sure if Dee hadn't acted the way she had if I would still have this amount of sympathy for Maggie. She is still obviously very loving and likable, but these traits are only greatened when compared to Dee as a foil character.