This article was posted on August 20, 1999 to The Unofficial Sabor Fan Club Member's Mailing List.
Well seeing how light the discusion on this list has been I've decided to
write up a small selection on the character Sabor as a basis for discusion. I
wrote this using my mental definition of a litterary foil which may or may
not conform to the offical.
Sabor as a foil
In many great stories through littiriture a device has been used to show
the hero in a stronger light by contrast, the Foil as it is called either
explicitly or implicitly is a character who is at essence a flawed character,
and a flaw that is diametricly opposed to the hero, for example, a couragous
hero's foil may be a cowardly assasin.
Now as the title of this passage indicates I see Sabor as a foil for many
characters in Tarzan, most obviously she is the oposite of Kala, Compasion vs
Merciliness. Kala, though not the hero is shown to be the most caring
character in part because her unselfish love for the helpless tarzan is
starkly in contrast to the mercyless self serving Sabor who's behavior meets
most peoples moral code as vicous and "Evil". Kala in contrast would be very
hard to view in a bad light after the scene, Kala is clearly and
unquestionably defined as a good character thusly. Without Sabor none of the
events that cause her character to come into play will ever come about.
Sabor also provides a foil for Tarzan during her short screen life, Tarzan
is shown as Brave and Loyal to his "Family" while Sabor's Ambushes could be
viewed as cowardly, for she has caught Tarzan unarmed(unlike most animals
humans have no natural weapons or defenses). Sabors aura of fear she inspired
in the apes(and probally Tarzan too) is nessersy to give Tarzan the awe and
respect he deserves after besting her and completing his growth into the king
of the Jungle.
Sabor's role does not cease after her death, though it does fall to
Clayton, he exhudes the cowardice(using a gun against an ape(or tarzan), and
the self serving mercilessness(Mercenery and only in prusite of money).
Though less pronounced and more subtle it is certainly still present.
In conclusion, throughout the story of Tarzan Sabor's actions befit a
foil to the heroic characters, even in her death her charartristics continue
to provide Tarzan with the oposite extream to further enhance his own image.
Without Sabor's actions the good guys will not appear so good, without the
dark their is no light, and in the minds of most Sabor is Dark, making Tarzan
and Kala's light ever so much brighter.
The above article is all in Talon's words. Nothing was changed. No grammatical errors were fixed. If you would like to contact Talon Saurn, please click on her name above. Thanks.
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