chapter 4 really seems to emphasize toriel and carol as narrative foils in general, but especially in regards to isolation. toriel is associated with warmth, love, affection, whereas carol is associated with cold, distance, cruelty. carol makes her first on-screen appearance at the start of a chapter that ends with toriel and sans, dancing together. toriel is a teacher, a prominent figure in the church; a community leader, of sorts. one that everybody trusts and has at least something positive to say about. on the other hand, carol's position in home town is a lot less personal, and leaves no room for genuine connection with her community; every flavor text you get related to her from other people is either neutral or outright negative, with the exception of asgore.
when you see toriel interacting with alphys, rudy, etc, it's all very warm and familiar and casual; like she's friends with everybody. carol's one interaction with people other than the player is incredibly tense, awkward. like she's not even trying to be polite anymore. and at the end of the day, toriel may be in the same situation as her (a single parent, raising one child), but she still goes home to a warm house, hugs kris and pinches their cheek, dances and has fun with sans, even her interactions with asgore, uncomfortable as they are, are still proof that she is wanted and loved. carol goes "home" to a mansion locked behind a gate, far too large for two people to live in. to bad memories, to calls from the hospital. to sleep alone in a bed for two, to talk to the last family member she really has, only to find that she's pulling away too. retreating into herself, just like carol. so she's content to be alone, as long as neither of them can ever leave. the house is big enough for two people to wander, without ever bumping into each other on accident.
then, of course, there's the temperature motifs. the dreemurr household is coated with these warm, rich hues, everything is full of happy memories, everything is used and loved. the food they make is made in the oven, even more warmth. warmth is when you have someone. warmth is being surrounded. but, at the same time, this is why warmth can sometimes make people more hostile towards each other. it's just instincts: when it gets too warm, you want to be as far away from other people as possible. i don't think i really need to elaborate on carol's opposing cold motif, it's stated outright in the game that her presence has a sort of chilling affect. the holiday household is decked in white and pale colors, light and deep blues. cold, as a foil to warmth, makes people crave intimacy and connection more than ever. you need other people for adequate warmth. cold makes you wish someone else was here.
essentially, what i think all of this is getting at is the fact that toriel craves peace and a life of her own, after she's given so much to others, whereas carol ultimately has become completely deprived of affection and connection for what i can only assume to be years by now.
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