Coetzee's Foe, Behn's Oroonoko and Richardson's Pamela: Historical Context and Social Criticism

Historical context and social criticism are both crucial to the novels of the period but also inseparably intertwined. The influence of both these factors are especially clear in Coetzee’s Foe, Behn’s Oroonoko and Richardson’s Pamela, three very different novels from different times all of which rely on, and are clearly influenced by, their historical context in order to validate the relevance of their social criticisms.

Writing and living in Apartheid South Africa, it is evident in Foe Coetzee finds it very difficult to separate his own history and social context from the novel, however, it is his awareness of this that makes history and social criticism so interesting and significant. The character of Friday, a man whose background is unknown and whose tongue has been cut out, in many ways stands as a symbol of oppression and, contrasting to Cruso, highlights a racial barrier which was unavoidable at the time. Susan reflects they seems unwilling to change (“there was too little desire in Cruso and Friday...for a new life” [Foe, 88]). Susan is the only character who attempts to leave the island and tries to communicate with Friday, both through urging him to speak to her, despite Cruso’s determination that “Friday had no need of words” [Foe, 56], and through attempting to learn his form of communication. Susan plays the flute with Friday, following his tune and then erring from it, “sure Friday would follow” but he “persisted in the old tune” [Foe, 97]. Friday, like Cruso, has no wish to change his ways, something which may be seen as Coetzee’s social criticism of South Africa, expressing an opinion that in order for things to change both sides must want it. The ideas expressed in Foe seem to be more about social exploration than criticism and Coetzee is not as firm or clear in opinion as he is in his later novels such as Disgrace which demonstrate a greater grasp of the intricacies of Apartheid and post-Apartheid racial relations. Coetzee does, however,

Bibliography: Books - * Ashley, Maurice – The Glorious Revolution of 1688, Hodder and Stoughton, first edition, 1966, London * Behn, Aphra – Oroonoko, Penguin Classics, first edition, 2003, London * Coetzee, JM – Foe, Penguin Classics, second edition, 2010, London * Defoe, Daniel – Robinson Crusoe, * Fielding, Henry – Joseph Andrews and Shamela, Penguin Classics, first edition, 1999, London * Ogg, David – England in the Reign of Charles II, Oxford University Press, second edition, 1972, London * Richardson, Samuel – Pamela, Oxford University Press, second edition, 2008, New York * Watt, Ian – The Rise of the Novel, Peregrine Books, second edition, 1983, Middlesex Articles – [ 3 ]. JM Coetzee, Disgrace, Penguin, second edition, 2000, New York [ 4 ] [ 5 ]. Ian Watt, The Rise of the Novel, Peregrine Books, second edition, 1983, Middlesex, pg67 [ 6 ] [ 9 ]. Peter Shaw, The Reflector, 1750, pg14