Foe (on Chapter 2) by J. M. Coetzee

The characters’ relationships -- Roy,

Language ＆ Tongue -- Chelsea,

Susan Barton & Her daughter -- Annie,

Susan as a writer - Siobhan

The changes of their relationships among Susan, Cruso and Friday

A. Cruso and FridayB. Cruso and Susan

C. Susan and Friday

A. Cruso and Friday In chapter 1, Cruso is like a king. He treats

Friday like his slave. Cruso is like a colonizer and Friday to be a

colonized aboriginal. He only teaches him some words. (P.56)

Cruso is suspected to cut out Friday’s tongue. (P. 68)

Cruso dies then.

B. Cruso and Susan

In chapter 1, Cruso also wants to subordinate Susan and not let her go around. ＝＞colonizer and someone to be colonized

Later Cruso appreciates Susan’s help on the ship.

In chap.2, Susan regards Cruso as her friend. She dreams of him (P. 54) and the island of Cruso.

凱逸 :凱逸 :

Susan and Friday In chap.1, Susan is afraid of Friday because

she doesn’t know him at all and the lost tongue.

In chap 2, Susan and Friday are like friends.They are like mother and son. She takes care of him. (P. 47)

She tries to teach him simple English and observes his behavior in order to understand him more. (P. 56)--Friday’s dance

She has sympathy on him.

The Theme ： Language ＆Tongue

I.

↗ On the island：the right to express herself p. 27

Substance (Entreaty) ↘ Here＆now：make the story written and known p.51 (imagination and immediacy)

The Lost Tongue• The lost ability of living independently

P. 48

• The inability of expressions (murmur, grief) P. 23, p. 49

• The lost sense of selfness P. 51

• The bereft interest of learning to express freely P.56

• The lost chance of sharing and supporting P. 70

• No world of play: boring life p.85

• The abiding sleep of awareness (a scourage of Africa) P 82

• The dead heart p.57, P. 70, P.85

• The lost freedom p. 100

The motivation

– For fear of the idleness and stupidness

– will destroy him.

– PP. 56,57

– Abolish the notion of speech p. 57

– reborn the memories p.57

– return to the world of words p. 60

Susan’s view on language

1. Establish ＆ progress people’s relationships p. 58

2. Make awareness p. 58

3. Record ＆ outlive the memories/story p. 584. Make a fortune p. 58

Susan Barton & Her daughter

In Chap.1, to search for Susan’s lost daughter, she became the castaway; in Chap.2, Susan refused to acknowledge the daughter. (75, 77, 89-91) Why?

Major reasons:• Susan regarded the daughter as one false girl

who was arranged and sent by Foe. (74-75, 78)

• Susan’s strong attempt to be an author.

Special Scene (104-105):

When Susan took Friday to Bristol, she saw a parcel of the dead babe in the ditch. At the sight of this scene, Susan assumed that the dead babe was herself.

• Susan thought that she refused the false daughter cruelly.

• Susan felt the pathetic fate of the abandoned children. (This can show Susan’s sympathetic emotion)

Other Reference: Roxana

Roxana’s story, which was introduced by Coetzee, is the other similar story as Susan’s.

Similarities: • 1.Roxana and Susan made choices between

the mother and the author.

• 2.They both refused to admit their daughters.

Differences: 1. The reason of refusing to admit the daughter is different. ---Roxana did not want to go back her past. ---Susan wanted to pursue her ideal---be an author. 2. Roxana became an independent woman and author; while Susan still did not succeed in being an author.

Susan Barton’s Attitude

To Susan, Friday and the false girl are not her consanguinities. However, Susan treated them in the different way.

To Friday: (---Mother-son relationship) 1. The process from fearing Friday to showing Susan’s sympathy, patience, and concerns.(84-85, 95, 104, 111)

2. Susan’s attempt to teach language and music. (96-98) 3. Susan’s way in talking to Friday. (77)

To Young Susan Barton:

Susan treated the girl indifferently,

showed no trust to the girl, and

she wanted to send the girl away as soon as

possible.Clues:

• Their dialogs (72-74, 77-78)

• The scene in the forest (89-91)

• Susan kept the distance with the girl---showing her indifference. (73, 90)

Study question

What do you think about Susan’s attitude toward Friday and the young girl? Friday and the young girl both do not have ties of blood with Susan, why did Susan treat Friday more well than the girl?

Why Susan wrote those letters?

---Susan’s writing style ---Authorship ---Express “What”

The power to speak

---Authorship ---Individualism ---Not to be “Victimize”

Susan & Friday—Parallelism

---A reflection of Susan ---Out of tongue, out of power ---reduplication ---Why Susan cannot teach Friday well? ---A dumb person cannot teach people how to speak….

The title—Foe

---A male writer? ---A female writer’s foe? ---Foe of “Female Authorship”