Différance And Play In Coetzee's Foe

The novel Foe written by J.M. Coetzee is probably endowed with a deconstructive nature based upon Derrida's deconstruction theory which provides an original perspective to help uncover the deconstructive nature of certain literary works. In the process of analyzing Foe, this study adopts this perspective in an attempt to discover its potential deconstructive nature which might be reflected in some slight and subtle aspects concerning differance and play. Therefore, this study will take the concepts of differance and play—two key notions in Derrida's deconstructive criticism as the theoretical support to unearth certain details which may embody differance and play in both its content and form, with more emphasis on the former, so as to further understand and appreciate the deconstructive nature of Foe. Meanwhile, the philosophical value of Foe is learned about that this postmodern novel written by Coetzee might be a subversion of Defoe's literary canon Robinson Crusoe, even a subversion of the logocentric tradition of western philosophy. Moreover, this typical postmodern novel might be a reconstruction on the basis of its deconstruction of the classic canon Robinson Crusoe and the western metaphysics Robinson Crusoe probably represents.