Foe By JM Coetzee

In his novel 'Foe', J.M.Coetzee has reconsidered theisland into a popular and interesting book of
events of 'Robinson Crusoe' from a new point ofadventure. Foe is not much interested in Cruso and
view. Almost everybody in the field of literature isFriday. He calls their island a monotonous and boring
acquainted with the hardships which Robinson Crusoeplace. But he is interested in those two years which
had to bear in his adventurous journeys. Crusoe hadSusan had spent in Bahia. Foe is financially not strong
spent 28 years, 2 months and 19 days on the island.and can't publish the book because he is in debt. His
In Crusoe's story, the author, Daniel Defoe, presentshouse has been taken by the bailiffs. Meanwhile,
his hero who lives in a man's world. Women appearSusan tries to write the story as "The Female
as minor characters, for short durations. It is clear inCastaway", but she lacks Foe's fanciful style of
the story that Robinson Crusoe goes well withoutwriting. One day, suddenly, her daughter turns up.
women for all those years. However, in the end heShe is perhaps not the daughter but a new road
marries. Finally he goes back to the island and fromonward.
there to Brazil. In all respects, it appears that CrusoeUnlike Mr. Coetzee's earlier novels, the tone in the
has to face the severities for all those years.novel "Foe" is different. To bring an old story, about
J.M.Coetzee, in his story, 'Foe" makes up for these250 years old, to life again, or rather continue the
severities, and the writer presents a woman's story.story is definitely a challenging task. Susan's story is
The story moves as she demands. Susan is thenot disgraced by comparison with Defoe's style.
daughter of and English mother and a French father.However, lucidity and verse are not as effective as
She has a daughter of the same name. The daughterin Defoe's story. Susan's story lacks the dramatic
is abducted by an Englishman and she is conveyed toimagination of Defoe.
the New World. Susan follows her to Brazil, but afterMr. Coetzee's novels culminate in "Foe". They have a
that at a place called Bahia she loses her. Susansuggestion of parable about them. Sometimes they
decides to stay there, and she spends two yearsimagine further forms of man's inhumanity to man like
there. Finally, she boards a ship to Lisbon and falls inin " Waiting for the Barbarians" and sometimes we
love with the captain of the ship. To her misfortune,are allowed to interpret them more specifically, their
the sailors mutiny and kill the captain. Susan takesmoral brought nearer home.
refuge in a small boat. She lands on an island. FridayIn his novel, Foe is presented as a guide and a
finds her and brings her to his master named Cruso,teacher to Susan and Friday. He wants to teach
an irascible, lazy, imperious fellow. He has no interestFriday to write. He says," Writing is not doomed to
in going back to the mainland. He doesn't even like tobe the shadow of speech". He tells Susan," Speech is
recall the events of his early life there. Friday can'tbut a means through which the word may be
speak because his tongue has been cut out, eitheruttered".
by Cruso, or by the slave owners. Three of themIt can be said that "Foe" is a whole world in itself,
spend one year on the Island. They are rescued byand it guides the reader along the passages of time
an English ship under the command of Captain Smith.which are not limited to years and decades but
On the voyage back to England, Cruso dies, cryingextend up to centuries. It is a book which gives
for the island. The rest of the book is about Susandelight to the reader, thought to the scholar and
and Friday in England, and how she attempts toentertainment to the laymen. Mr. Coetzee's "Foe", like
persuade Daniel For to turn her account of life on thehis any other novel, is really worth reading.