A Scoop on Scoop

By definition an antagonist is the person whose every action is conducted against the protagonist. In contrast a foil is a character that has contrasting or complimentary characteristics whose actions affect the protagonist. The foil in fact may at times behave as the antagonist, side kick or somewhere in between.

In Wendy Wasserstein’s The Heidi Chronicles, the character of Scoop the romantic interest and best friend of the heroine Heidi in fact demonstrates the characterization of the foil. However, ironically the character may describe him as her antagonist in her feministic two dimensional out look on life.

Heidi believes herself to be the proverbial feminist who goes through life feeling that men are the great evil whose main life is to keep women in their place. She fights against conventions of being a traditional homemaker to become successful and independent in a devil may care attitude but often blames men for her failings. Ultimately single at forty she adopts a child as if this is the piece de resistance to tell the world; she does not need a man. To add to this she befriends a homosexual man, Peter who gives her a feeling of safety and comfort. The question is: is she fooling herself or the world? And ultimately does she hold Scoop responsible for stringing her along or is she responsible for her actions alone?

Ironically, her main fight for the cause of feminism is giving a platform to forgotten female artists when surely there are other more worthwhile causes in the plight of women. Further, interestingly Heidi tries to escape her troubles by leaving New York but is scolded by Peter who acts as her true confidante aka Peter and Heidi in the Swiss tale as opposed to the foil of Scoop. Peter, keeps Heidi grounded and reminds her of their bond and is frustrated at her weakness, “But obviously I can’t help you. And You can’t help me, So…”(238). Heidi’s weakness and hurt shows she is a normal woman with feminine wants and not a true feminist. This is highlighted in the confused women who meet for feministic sessions in scene 3 and yet reveal their insecurities such as Becky who acts as a slave to her ungrateful boyfriend.  In fact Heidi too is perhaps delusional in her longstanding relationship with her paramour and friend Scoop as stated by Susan, “My friend Heidi is obsessed with an asshole” (180).

On their first meeting she is drawn to Scoop but feigns indifference, which is simply a feminine ploy to hide her attraction. Heidi even pretends to be Susan forgetting her real name is written on her name tag. Scoop as her foil sees through her games and bluntly remarks on being called irritating by her with the response, “That’s the first honest thing you’ve said all night” (171). After all her indignity at his insults and her rebuttals (he rates her looks as B- and demeans her by calling her Heidella), she still leaves with him and Scoop clenches his fist in victory, as Heidi falls for his charms. Therefore for all her pretense of feminism as she scoffs at his off the cuff remark of her future domesticity, “No, I’ll be busy burning lingerie” Heidi acts like a typical woman and not the feminist she claims to be. Scoop calls her bluff and Heidi loses, forsaking her ideals by becoming the casual interest for Scoop.

Scoop ultimately does not marry Heidi and eventually settles for a six out of ten claiming she needs a ten out of ten and could possibly never settle. The truth is that feminists it may be argued never get to have it all, never find perfection and end up being unhappy as they spend their life reaching for unattainable goals. Scoop on the other hand cuts is losses and is more realistic in love, finding comfort a better alternative to true love or passion. The real burning question arises what if Scoop had asked Heidi to marry him, would she have said yes, tossing her feminism as she had at their first meeting. We will never know but I would guess yes. (The last scene alludes to this when Heidi states if she had married Scoop the marriage would not last.) Has Scoop acted as a foil in her long term plans by not committing to Heidi? Heidi is angry and upset at Scoop’s wedding as she has been strung along and now finally betrayed by Scoop despite his love for her (201)

Scoop; I’m sorry Heidella. But I couldn’t dangle you any more. And that’s why I got married today. So,

Heidi; So. So now its all my fault.

Scoop; Sure it is. You want other things in life than I do.

Heidi; Really? Like what?

Scoop; Self-fulfilment. Self-determination. Self-exaggeration

Heidi; That’s exactly what you want.

Scoop; Right. Then you’d be competing with me.

In fact Heidi and Scoop despite playing up their differences are peas in a pod and this likeness repels each other again as Scoop ends up as the foil pushing Heidi away. Her feminism has worked against her and Scoop ends up playing the more traditional role (despite his dalliances to retain his masculinity). In fact Scoop sells his successful magazine simply to fall into another avatar of a better father leaving behind selfish ambitions thereby playing the more feminine role to Heidi’s masculinity. At the end joking that they should try again romantically despite hurting Heidi he flippantly remarks, “You’re lonely and I’m lost”. This poignantly affirms how he has affected her life and his by being her foil in her plans. Unable to find true love in his marriage he is lost and in turn Heidi unable to find another man to replace Scoop adopts a child to fill the void that success and freedom and independence all the trappings of feminism cannot fill.

Perhaps Heidi should have been a true feminist, not fallen for Scoop and stopped him from being her foil. As Susan summed it up early on in the play, “You know, as your best friend, I must tell you frankly that you’re going to get really messed up unless you learn to take men seriously” (164). Never a truer word spoken…..