The Intersection of Postmodern, Postcolonial and Feminist Discourse in J.M. Coetzee's Foe

Abstract

This paper is a condensed version of the final chapter of The Novels of J.M. Coetzee: Lacanian Allegories. It was to have been presented at the seminar on Foe in March 1988, prior to the publication of the book in July 1988. It offers a reading of the novel, Foe, as allegory, with the figure of Susan Barton representing certain positions in feminist discourse, Cruso representing postcolonial discourse from the position of the colonizer, and Friday's muteness representing the impossibility of a pure, original discourse on the part of the colonized. Feminist, postcolonial and postmodern discourses have in common the problem of speaking as Other, of representing the self as Other to various dominant discourses. In Foe Coetzee would appear to borrow strategies for figuring radical Otherness from both feminist and postcolonial discourse, while exploring the contradic• tions inherent in these strategies. Postmodernism offers strategies of intervention and evasion necessary to white South African writers, and at the same time is able to offer a critique of the claims to authority and self-representation made by a certain postcolonial and feminist discourse.

Opsomming

Hierdie artikel is 'n gekondenseerde weergawe van die finale hoofstuk van The Novels of J.M. Coetzee: Lacanian Alfegories. Dit sou gelewer word tydens 'n seminaar oor Foe in Maart 1988, voor die publikasie van die boek in Julie 1988. Dit bied 'n lesing van die roman Foe as allegorie, waarin Susan Barton sekere posisies in feministiese diskoers verteen­woordig, Cruso postkoloniale diskoers vanuit die posisie van die kolonialiseerder, en Friday se stomheid die onmoontlikheid van 'n suiwer, oorspronklike diskoers vanuit die kant van die gekolonialiseerde voorstel. Feministiese, postkoloniale en postmoderne diskoerse het die gemeenskaplike probleem van "praat as Ander•, van die self voor te stel as "Ander" aan verskeie dominante diskoerse. In Foe lyk dit asof Coetzee strategies ter figurering van radikale Andersheid van beide feministiese en postkoloniale diskoers leen, terwyl die inherente teenstrydighede in hierdie strategiee terselfdertyd verken word. Postmodernisme verskaf strategies van tussentrede en ontwyking wat noodsaaklik is vir wit Suid-Afrikaanse skrywers, en is terselfdertyd in staat om kritiek te uiter teen die aanspraak op outoriteit en self-representasie wat gemaak word deur 'n sekere postkolo­niale en feministiese diskoers.