『포』에 나타난 몸을 통한 재현의 가능성 모색

Abstract

This paper aims to illuminate Coetzees experimental way of representing the Other in Foe. As Coetzee deals with the issues of representation within the postcolonial context in Foe, he carefully examines the other possible way to represent Friday, the Other of both Susan Barton and Foe. Due to his tonguelessness, it is no doubt that Friday always needs to be represented by others. However, Barton and Foes attempt to restore the silence of Friday through writing and speaking eventually fail. By focusing on Fridays denial to be represented in the discourse of tongue, Coetzee explores the possibility that Friday can speak for himself. Although Coetzee mostly recasts the relationship between mother and daughter in Daniel Defoes Roxana, his idea on representing the Other heavily relies on the scene of masquerade where Roxana dances in the Turkish dress. While the faux-Turkish dance and dress personify the Other, no make-up face of her presents her agency and subjectivity as well. Similar to Roxanas performance, Friday as the Other dances in the nakedness underneath the costume of the white man. By pointing out this non-verbal performance and other arts of Friday, this paper seeks to argue that body serves to present the agency and subjectivity of the Other in Foe questioning the language as the only medium to represent the Other. Indeed, like Roxana, Fridays independent speaking through his body subverts the dominant discourse of language and expresses his subjectivity, and thereby makes the body into site of representation for the Other.