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

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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

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The changes of their relationships among Susan,
Cruso and FridayA. Cruso and FridayB. Cruso
and SusanC. Susan and Friday
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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 Fridays tongue.
  (P. 68)
• Cruso dies then.

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B. Cruso and Susan
??

• In chapter 1, Cruso also wants to subordinate
  Susan and not let her go around. gtcolonizer and
  someone to be colonized
• Later Cruso appreciates Susans help on the ship.
  
• In chap.2, Susan regards Cruso as her friend. She
  dreams of him (P. 54) and the island of Cruso.

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Susan and Friday

• In chap.1, Susan is afraid of Friday because she
  doesnt 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)--Fridays dance
• She has sympathy on him.

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The ThemeLanguage Tongue
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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

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• 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

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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

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Susans view on language
1. Establishprogress peoples relationships
p. 58 2. Make awareness p. 58 3.
Recordoutlive the memories/story p. 58 4.
Make a fortune p. 58
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Susan Barton Her daughter

• In Chap.1, to search for Susans 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)
• Susans strong attempt to be an author.

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• 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 Susans sympathetic
  emotion)

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Other Reference Roxana

• Roxanas story, which was introduced by Coetzee,
  is the other similar story as Susans.
• Similarities
• 1.Roxana and Susan made choices between
• the mother and the author.
• 2.They both refused to admit their daughters.

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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.
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Susan Bartons 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 Susans sympathy,
  patience, and
• concerns.(84-85, 95, 104, 111)
• 2. Susans attempt to teach language and
• music. (96-98)
• 3. Susans way in talking to Friday. (77)

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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)

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Study question

• What do you think about Susans 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?

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Why Susan wrote those letters?

• ---Susans writing style
• ---Authorship
• ---Express What

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The power to speak

• ---Authorship
• ---Individualism
• ---Not to be Victimize

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Susan FridayParallelism

• ---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.

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The titleFoe

• ---A male writer?
• ---A female writers foe?
• ---Foe of Female Authorship