Foe

To what extent should Foe be considered an epistolatory novel? In what sections is it overtly epistolary, and where can it be said to contain elements of epistolatory narratives?

Susan believes that the true focus of the story should be Friday’s tongue. What does the tale of Friday’s tongue communicate to the reader? Further, in what ways does Friday communicate or express himself?

Susan arrives at and escapes from the island in Part 1, but the island casts a long shadow over the novel. What does the island symbolize to each of the characters who lived there? What does a return to the island, or the sunken ship near it, at the end of the novel represent?

In what ways does the novel create a deliberate contrast between the fictional Foe and the historical Defoe? Is the character likable and fully dimensional? Why or why not?

How does the novel explore the relationship between stories and agency? Examine these relationships as they relate to Susan, Friday, Foe, and Cruso.

Parenthood is a preoccupation for Susan. What facts are presented about her lost daughter and her pursuit of her, and what can her daughter be said to represent in a metaphorical sense?

Foe can be considered an example of metafiction. In what ways does the novel draw attention to its own literary nature?

In what ways is Cruso’s exile self-imposed? What might his recurring illnesses, which occur during storms, say about his relationship to the natural world? What does his death at sea seem to imply, if anything, about his relationship to the natural world and the passage from the island to England in particular?