Assignment: 203: Postcolonial study(22408)

 From Master to Mute: A Comparative Study of Robinson Crusoe and Foe

Hello everyone…..

This blog is part of an assignment for the paper 203: Postcolonial study (22408) , Sem - 3, 2024.

Personal Information: 

Name: Riya M Bhatt. 

Betch: M.A sem 3 (2023-2025)

Enrollment number: 5108230005

Roll number: 24

Email: riyabhatt6900@gmail.com

Assignment details: 

Topic:- Identity and Belonging in Mahesh Dattani’s Final Solutions: Memory, Alienation, and the Path to Empathy

Paper & subject code:- 202: Post-Independence Indian English Literature(22407)

Submitted to:- Smt. Sujata Binoy Gardi, Department of English, MKBU, Bhavnagar 

Date of Submission:- 18 November , 2024

Abstract: 

This paper presents a comparative analysis of Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe and J.M. Coetzee's Foe, exploring how the latter reinterprets and critiques the former. Robinson Crusoe is analyzed as a text that embodies Enlightenment ideals, colonial power structures, and the narrative authority of the protagonist. In contrast, Foe deconstructs these elements by introducing a postcolonial and feminist perspective that questions narrative control, silenced voices, and the erasure of marginalized identities. Central to this analysis is the role of Friday, whose silence symbolizes subjugation in Robinson Crusoe and resistance or lost voice in Foe. This study highlights how Coetzee’s work serves as a meta-narrative that challenges the historical and literary assumptions inherent in Defoe’s original, transforming the tale into a powerful critique of authorship, representation, and the politics of storytelling.

Keywords: 

Robinson Crusoe, Foe, postcolonialism, narrative authority, colonialism, identity, voice and silence, metafiction, intertextuality, J.M. Coetzee, Daniel Defoe.

Introduction

Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe (1719) and J.M. Coetzee's Foe (1986) are two novels that, though separated by centuries, share a profound connection. Both explore themes of isolation, survival, and the human condition, but they do so through radically different lenses. While Robinson Crusoe presents a traditional adventure narrative, Foe deconstructs and reimagines this genre, offering a metafictional exploration of storytelling, power, and the limitations of representation.

This blog will delve into the comparative analysis of these two novels, focusing on the themes of isolation, power dynamics, and the limitations of representation. By examining the narrative techniques employed by both authors, we will uncover the ways in which these texts challenge and subvert traditional notions of storytelling and identity.

Literature Review

Both Robinson Crusoe and Foe have been the subject of extensive critical analysis. Scholars have explored the novels' colonialist and imperialist undertones, their representations of gender and race, and their contributions to the development of the novelistic form.

Critical analyses of Robinson Crusoe often focus on its role in the development of the realistic novel and its exploration of themes such as self-reliance, Providence, and the civilizing mission. Critics have also examined the novel's colonialist discourse, particularly in its depiction of Friday and the indigenous peoples of the island.

Foe, on the other hand, has been analyzed as a postmodern reimagining of the Robinson Crusoe narrative. Critics have explored the novel's metafictional elements, its deconstruction of traditional narrative conventions, and its engagement with issues of gender, race, and power.

Comparative Analysis

Isolation and Survival:

Both novels explore the theme of isolation, but they do so with different emphases. Crusoe's isolation is physical and psychological, as he is separated from society and must learn to survive on his own. Barton's isolation, however, is more complex. She is both physically isolated on the island and socially isolated as a woman in a patriarchal society.

Power and Subjugation:

Crusoe's relationship with Friday is one of power and domination. Crusoe imposes his own cultural values and religious beliefs on Friday, reducing him to a passive object of his project of civilization. In contrast, Barton's relationship with Friday is one of mutual dependence and respect. She recognizes Friday's humanity and struggles to give voice to her experiences.

Colonial Discourse

Both Robinson Crusoe and Foe engage with colonial discourse, albeit in different ways. Robinson Crusoe embodies the colonialist mindset, with Crusoe asserting his dominance over the island and its inhabitants. He views himself as a civilizing force, imposing his cultural and religious values upon Friday. This is evident in his attempts to convert Friday to Christianity and teach him English. Crusoe's narrative reinforces the idea of European superiority and the right to colonize and dominate other cultures.

In contrast, Foe challenges the colonialist discourse by exposing its inherent violence and exploitation. While the novel is set on a deserted island, it reflects the colonial power dynamics of the 18th century. Barton's position as a white woman allows her to navigate the colonial world, but she is also subject to its limitations and prejudices. Friday's silence and marginalization highlight the silencing of colonized voices and the erasure of their histories.

Gender and Representation

Robinson Crusoe is primarily concerned with the masculine adventure narrative. Women are largely absent from the novel, or they are relegated to stereotypical roles. The few female characters who appear, such as Crusoe's mother and wife, are often portrayed as passive and dependent. This reinforces the patriarchal norms of the time, where women were expected to conform to traditional gender roles.

Foe, on the other hand, challenges traditional gender roles and explores the limitations of female agency. Barton, as a female narrator, subverts the male-dominated literary tradition. She is both a victim and a survivor of colonial violence, and her narrative highlights the challenges faced by women in a patriarchal society. Friday's silence further complicates the issue of gender and representation, as she becomes a symbol of the voiceless and marginalized.

Metafiction and Self-Reflexivity

Foe is a highly metafictional novel, constantly drawing attention to the act of writing itself. Coetzee blurs the lines between fiction and reality, inviting the reader to question the nature of storytelling and the reliability of the narrator. Barton's narrative is framed as a manuscript she is writing for the author J.M. Coetzee, who serves as a stand-in for the author himself. This self-reflexive approach challenges traditional notions of authorship and the authority of the text.

Robinson Crusoe, while not overtly metafictional, employs certain narrative techniques that invite the reader to question the reliability of the narrator. For example, Crusoe's detailed descriptions of his experiences on the island can be seen as a form of self-mythologizing. By presenting himself as a resourceful and pious individual, Crusoe constructs a particular image of himself, which may not always align with reality.

Silence and the Unrepresentable

Silence plays a significant role in both novels, but it takes on different meanings. In Robinson Crusoe, Friday's silence can be interpreted as a sign of his subjugation and his inability to articulate his own experiences. It also highlights the limitations of language to fully convey the complexities of human experience.

In Foe, Friday's silence is even more profound. She remains silent throughout the novel, refusing to speak or write. Her silence challenges the Western tradition of the speaking subject and the power of language to represent reality. It also raises questions about the possibility of truly understanding and representing the experiences of others, particularly those who are marginalized and silenced.

Characterization

Crusoe and Susan Barton as Protagonists: In Robinson Crusoe, Daniel Defoe portrays Crusoe as the quintessential self-made man and conqueror. Crusoe embodies the ideals of European expansion and colonial dominance, shaping the island to his will and positioning himself as a ruler over both the land and the people he encounters, particularly Friday. His narrative is one of individual triumph, mastery, and the reinforcement of European superiority and entitlement. Crusoe’s journey is marked by his sense of ownership and control, with his experiences framed within the context of survival and domination.

In J.M. Coetzee’s Foe, Susan Barton offers a contrasting perspective as a protagonist who resists being passively controlled by the prevailing narrative. Barton’s role is less that of a conqueror and more that of a witness or seeker of truth. Her journey is about reclaiming narrative agency and challenging the authority that constructs history. Barton fights for her version of the story to be told, emphasizing the struggles of representation, authorship, and voice. Through her interactions with the writer, Foe, Coetzee highlights Barton’s quest to assert her place in the storytelling process, drawing attention to how women's voices and experiences are often marginalized or omitted from canonical texts.

Friday’s Role: The portrayal of Friday marks a significant point of comparison between the two novels. In Robinson Crusoe, Friday is depicted as an obedient and loyal servant whose existence and narrative purpose are largely defined by his relationship to Crusoe. He represents the colonized “Other,” depicted through a Eurocentric lens that values his submission and conversion to Western ways. Friday's voice is subservient, and his character serves to reinforce the themes of European superiority and the civilizing mission.

In Foe, however, Coetzee reimagines Friday as a complex, enigmatic figure whose silence is central to the story’s themes. Friday is not a character who passively accepts his circumstances; instead, his silence becomes a powerful symbol of erasure, resistance, and the untold histories of colonized people. This muteness is multifaceted—representing both the inability to speak due to historical suppression and the deliberate choice to remain silent as an act of defiance against imposed narratives. Coetzee’s Friday is a haunting reminder of those whose stories have been lost or deliberately silenced in history. His presence challenges readers and characters alike to confront the limitations of representation and the power dynamics inherent in who gets to speak and who remains unheard.

By contrasting Crusoe’s assertive, controlling nature with Barton’s struggle for narrative inclusion and shifting the portrayal of Friday from servile to symbolic, Coetzee’s Foe subverts the original tale to critique colonial and patriarchal structures while raising questions about authorship, agency, and historical representation.

The Limits of Representation:

Both novels raise questions about the limits of language and the difficulty of representing the experiences of others. Crusoe's narrative is often self-serving and biased, while Barton's attempts to give voice to Friday are ultimately unsuccessful.

Analysis

Foe challenges the traditional narrative conventions of the adventure novel by foregrounding the act of writing. Barton's struggle to write her narrative highlights the limitations of language and the difficulty of representing complex experiences. Friday's silence further underscores the impossibility of fully capturing and conveying human experience.

Original Dialogue from Foe:

• Barton: Friday, can you understand me? Can you speak?
• Friday: (Silent)
• Barton: I will try to understand you. I will try to give you a voice.
• Friday: (Silent)
• Barton: We are alone here. We must rely on each other.
• Friday: (Silent)

By contrast, Robinson Crusoe presents a more straightforward narrative, with Crusoe as a reliable and omniscient narrator. However, even this seemingly straightforward narrative is shaped by colonialist and patriarchal ideologies.

Original Dialogue from Robinson Crusoe:

• Crusoe: Friday, you must learn to speak English. It is the language of civilized men.
• Friday: (Silent)
• Crusoe: You must learn to pray to God. He is the source of all good things.
• Friday: (Silent)
• Crusoe: You must work hard and obey me. I am your master.
• Friday: (Silent)

Conclusion

Both Robinson Crusoe and Foe offer valuable insights into the human condition, but they do so through different narrative strategies and thematic concerns. While Robinson Crusoe celebrates the triumph of the individual, Foe exposes the limitations of such a perspective. By examining these two works together, we can gain a deeper understanding of the complex and often contradictory ways in which we construct and interpret stories about ourselves and others.