A Study Of J. M. Coetzee’s Foe In Light Of Levinas’ S Ethics For The Other

This thesis discusses in post-colonial context three pairs of binary opposition with the colonizer/the colonized, woman/man and the author/the character in light of Levinas’ s ethics for the Other. By thorough textual reading, the author intends to prove that Coetzee’s Foe explicates his ethical attitude with the above-mentioned relationships and his resolution is arguably in concert with that of Levinas’ s, that the supreme duty of the Same in post-modern era is to take ineluctable responsibility for the Other, and such respect for the Other’s choice and existence is unconditional.Coetzee is convinced that modern civilization’s knowledge and exploration of the world is founded on an ontology that supports comprehension of the Other through assimilation, which is to murder its otherness by totalizing it into our psyche.Therefore, to counteract this murderous trend and restore real peace to the world,Coetzee believes it imperative to interrogate western canons, return the Other its voice and promote an absolute ethics for the Other through his depiction of Friday’s silence and body, Cruso’s haunting specter and Susan’s new version of historical narrative.There are altogether five chapters in this thesis. Chapter one introduces to Coetzee and his work Foe, literary review, theoretical framework and thesis statement.Chapter two illustrates colonial relationship by revealing the complicity of language with the Same and the rebellion of the Other. Through the resistance of the colonized,Coetzee interrogates colonial subordination through discourse and advertises for anethical look that dives into historical truth without subjugating the Other. Chapter three illuminates the sexual relationship with woman/man. By emphasizing on the effects of deconstruction, this thesis reveals how woman can be oppressive to man and argues that to counteract the ontological thought underpinning such murderous power of the Same Coetzee has implied through the haunting specter of man the significance of an ethics for the Other. Chapter four discusses the writing ethics between the author and the character. By giving the character a voice to narrate its version of history, Coetzee problematizes the authenticity of western canons for their apparent oblivion of the Other, and authority of writers owing to the ambiguous nature of writing. Chapter five concludes that Coetzee’s ambiguous writing aligns himself with Levinas’ s preaching in giving the Other due respect in literary creation.