Ron Swanson Foil

A vital cast member from the very first episode of Parks and Recreation, Ron Swanson acts as Leslie’s foil. Not only is he a stoic older man, whose time working in government has caused him to be frustrated and apathetic, he is a steadfast libertarian. He holds no trust in authority, believes in limiting government control, and opposes most social programs. Rather than keeping his money at a bank, he keeps gold bars hidden in various secret locations. Once he realized that most internet sites collect personal information about him, he distanced himself from technology, favoring older machinery such as typewriters and analog cellular phones. His calm demeanor and his jaded personal belief system make him a grounding force in Leslie’s day-to-day …show more content…
He is not the first to jump up and take on a task, but he always knows who to assign that task to. Luckily, his second-in-command is Leslie Knope, a woman always craving her next big project. He allows Leslie to do what she loves, paperwork, organization, and community outreach (who doesn’t love that, right?). However, he then helps her to bring her ideas to fruition with his negotiation skills and intensely strong backbone. If she needs help, Ron is there for her. From the time Ron punched a heckler at Leslie’s wedding to the time he suggested he be fired in a round of budget cuts so that she could keep her position, Ron is vividly aware that part of his job is protecting his …show more content…
If and when a staunch ‘Ron Swanson belief’ causes another person turmoil, Ron does actively work to remedy the situation, as well as makes adjustments to his behavior so that it may not happen again. In the later seasons, Ron marries a lovely woman named Diane, who has two young daughters. During one of Ron’s anti-technology rants, he destroys his cellphone and declares that he will no longer be using the internet. However, Diane had gotten a flat tire that day and was left stranded on the side of the road for a long while because she could not get ahold of her husband. She explained to Ron that he has responsibilities to her and her daughters and that they need to always have a way to reach him in case of emergencies. So, Ron compromised. He got himself a giant, old cell phone and gave the number only to the three ladies in his