51 pages • 1 hour read
Foe
A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Background
Authorial Context: J. M. Coetzee’s History and Literary Themes
J. M. Coetzee is a South African writer renowned for his introspective and politically charged works exploring themes of power, colonialism, and the human condition. Born on February 9, 1940, in Cape Town, South Africa, Coetzee’s upbringing amidst the apartheid era significantly shaped his worldview and literary pursuits. Coetzee’s early life was marked by a blend of academia and literature. He earned degrees in English and mathematics, later pursuing a career in academia, specializing in literature. His academic endeavors include teaching in the United States, England, and South Africa. The impact of colonization and its ramifications, especially in South Africa, became a recurring motif in Coetzee’s literary oeuvre. His first novels, such as Dusklands (1974) and In the Heart of the Country (1977), laid the groundwork for his exploration of power dynamics, alienation, and moral ambiguity—themes that would pervade his later works. Life and Times of Michael K (1983), for example, depicts an apartheid-era South Africa amidst a fictional civil war. The novel Foe (1986), a reworking of Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe, exemplifies Coetzee’s intricate narrative style and his penchant for reimagining classic texts. Like many of Coetzee’s works, it obliquely references other writers and works, specifically Franz Kafka’s The Trial. Coetzee was the 2003 recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Coetzee’s most prominent work, Disgrace (1999), garnered widespread acclaim and won the Booker Prize. Set in post-apartheid South Africa, the novel delves into issues of race, sexuality, and the legacy of colonialism. Its protagonist, David Lurie, a disgraced professor, grapples with the consequences of his actions in a changing society, offering a searing critique of power, privilege, and moral responsibility. Coetzee’s literary contributions earned him numerous accolades, including multiple Booker Prizes and the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Beyond his fiction, Coetzee’s essays and literary criticism provide an incisive commentary on literature and society. He remains an influential figure in the literary world, inspiring critical discussions on ethics, politics, and storytelling. His works have moved beyond cultural and geographical barriers, resonating with readers globally and influencing a generation of writers grappling with issues of identity, power, and morality. In Doubling the Point: Essays and Interviews (1992), Coetzee delves into the complexities of narrative, exploring how storytelling shapes the understanding of reality. Coetzee is an official citizen of Australia, where he works as a University Professorial Research Fellow at the University of Adelaide, Australia.
Literary Context: Defoe and Robinson Crusoe
Foe is a work of parallel literature, in which Daniel Defoe’s novel Robinson Crusoe is retold from a different perspective and Defoe himself is integrated as a fictionalized character. Defoe was an English writer born around 1660. He is known for his versatile literary contributions, including Robinson Crusoe. Defoe’s early life is somewhat obscured, but he was born into a dissenting Puritan family in London, and his upbringing likely shaped his views on religion, society, and morality. He received a good education and later engaged in various trades, including merchant dealings and political involvement. Despite his successes as a merchant, Defoe faced financial challenges and even bankruptcy, which propelled him toward writing. His first notable works were political pamphlets and essays, displaying his observations on contemporary issues. Defoe’s strong opinions on governmental policies and societal norms often got him into trouble, leading to periods of imprisonment and exile.
Defoe’s most famous work, Robinson Crusoe, published in 1719, remains a cornerstone of adventure fiction. The novel recounts the tale of a mariner, Robinson Crusoe, who finds himself shipwrecked on a remote island. Crusoe’s solitary existence, struggle for survival, and eventual mastery over his surroundings captivated readers. The novel is a profound exploration of human resilience, adaptation, and the complexities of self-reliance. Crusoe’s struggle to create a life for himself from scratch—crafting tools and taming the environment—embodies the spirit of resourcefulness and determination. Robinson Crusoe also delves into themes of colonialism and cultural encounters. Crusoe’s interactions with Friday, a man he rescues and later befriends, raise questions about imperialism, hierarchy, and cultural superiority.
Foe approaches the novel Robinson Crusoe, and Defoe himself, from an alternative perspective. Susan Barton washes ashore on Crusoe’s island, only to discover that he is far from the heroic figure depicted in the novel. When she finally escapes to London, the fictionalized Defoe—named Foe—tries to exploit her story, rewriting her tale from a white male perspective to solve his financial woes. As such, Foe suggests that Robinson Crusoe is the novel written by the villainous Foe, which bears no semblance to the actual events of Susan’s life.
Robinson Crusoe serves as an important milestone in realistic fiction as a genre. Its success and popularity led to a flood of imitations, particularly novels featuring castaways. Gulliver’s Travels (1726) by Jonathan Swift is almost a direct response to Defoe’s optimistic view of human capacity in the face of adversity. Similarly, Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island (1883) parodies Crusoe with the depiction of a castaway.
Literary Context: Parallel Literature and Postmodernity
Parallel literature, often associated with Postmodernity, represents an interplay between narratives, intertextuality, and the deconstruction of established literary norms. It challenges conventional storytelling by exploring alternate perspectives, revisiting established narratives, and questioning the nature of truth and representation. Postmodern literature, as a movement, emerged as a response to the uncertainties and complexities of the post-World War II era, seeking to disrupt traditional narratives, embracing fragmentation, ambiguity, and self-reflexivity. Parallel literature, within this context, engages in reimagining established stories and characters, often to question established power structures, hierarchies, and historical biases.
J. M. Coetzee’s Foe is an example of parallel literature and its relation to Postmodernity. This novel serves as a reworking of Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe, introducing alternate perspectives and challenging the canonical narrative. Coetzee’s Foe provides a platform for marginalized voices, offering a new lens through which to interpret the original story. In Foe, Coetzee focuses on the character of Susan Barton, a woman stranded on an island with Cruso and Friday. However, unlike Defoe’s narrative, where Crusoe dominates the storytelling, Coetzee shifts the focus to Susan, challenging the established hierarchy of narrative power. Susan grapples with the struggle to have her story heard amidst the dominance of Cruso’s perspective, questioning the authenticity of storytelling and the representation of truth.
This reimagining in Foe exemplifies the Postmodern tendency to deconstruct established narratives. Coetzee questions the authority of the original story by challenging its limitations and biases. By giving voice to Susan, Coetzee not only critiques the colonial undertones of Defoe’s work but also explores themes of language, representation, and the complexities of storytelling itself. The Postmodern elements in Foe extend beyond its narrative structure. Coetzee employs metafictional techniques, blurring the boundaries between reality and fiction, inviting readers to question the nature of truth and the reliability of storytelling. This self-awareness within the narrative underscores the Postmodern tendency to challenge established norms and engage in critical reflection.
Moreover, the intertextual nature of Foe further aligns with the principles of parallel literature in the Postmodern context. Coetzee draws from and engages with Defoe’s original text, manipulating it to subvert conventional expectations and offer a new, multifaceted perspective. The depiction of Defoe as a character particularly highlights the inversion of expectation, suggesting that Defoe’s motivations for writing the novel (and eradicating Susan’s story) were primarily self-interested. This intertextuality invites reconsideration of the relationship between texts, acknowledging the fluidity and interconnectedness of literary narratives.
Foe embodies the essence of parallel literature within the realm of Postmodernity. Coetzee’s reimagining of Robinson Crusoe challenges the dominance of established narratives, reflects on the complexities of representation, and embodies the postmodern ethos of questioning truth, authority, and the construction of reality through storytelling. Through Foe, Coetzee contributes to a broader discussion on the nature of literature, inviting readers to engage critically with the interplay between parallel narratives and the Postmodern condition.
Unlock all 51 pages of this Study GuidePlus, gain access to 8,800+ more expert-written Study Guides.
Including features:
Related Titles
By J. M. Coetzee
