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If the narrator represents stunted aspirations, then Mahony represents those aspirations realized. Mahony is everything the narrator is not. He is wild, he is manly, he is confident, he is athletic, he has three girls who he is interested in and who are interested in him, and he is an avid slang user which makes him seem more grown-up than his friend. Mahony is the narrator’s foil—that is, a character who contrasts with the protagonist in order to better highlight or differentiate certain qualities of the protagonist. In the case of “An Encounter,” Mahony’s bold personality further emphasizes the narrator’s timid nature. In the text’s final sentence, the narrator admits that a small part of him has always “despised” his friend. His resentment likely stems from the fact that the narrator is essentially Mahony’s sidekick despite desperately wanting to be a hero himself. This observation is textually supported moments prior to the narrator’s admission to his complicated relationship with his friend, when Mahony heroically runs toward the narrator as if to “bring him aid” and save him from the perverted old man. This humiliates the narrator because he realizes Mahony is the real hero in their friendship dynamic. As a result, the narrator begins to jealously resent his friend for his instinctual heroism and masculinity.
