Language and Communication essays

Language and Communication essays Throughout Foe, J.M. Coetzee emphasizes the importance of language and communication in human interaction. Language and communication are reccurring themes that are personified mainly through the character of Friday. Friday is mute and not able to speak because he has no tongue. Though it is not clear how Friday lost his tongue, it is certain that Friday cannot speak. However, Susan Barton is able to speak as she possesses the means necessary for language, but she lacks communication skills. Though Cruso does not bother teaching Friday writing, Susan attempts to communicate with Friday but is not able to get through to him. Coetzee emphasizes the importance of language and communication through two central characters; Friday is the one not able to physically speak, however Susan truly lacks the necessary skills to communicate. Throughout the early stages of the novel, Coetzee shows that Friday is not able to speak and thus Susan dehumanizes him. Even though Coetzee never clarifies the true means by which Friday lost his tongue, it is obvious nonetheless that Friday is unable to speak. Susans first thought about Fridays inability to speak was that Friday was like a dog (21). Susan is baffled by Fridays silence and compares him to a dog. Though Cruso believes Friday has no need for words, Susan attempts to communicate once they have escape from the island. Susan has trouble teaching Friday words such as spoon and decides that perhaps after years of speechlessness the very notion of speech may be lost to him (57). Susan has lost hope of teaching Friday to communicate, however she continues to talk to Friday to educate him out of his so called darkness and silence, possibly because it gives her the satisfaction that she is making good on her less than ideal circumstances. Susan continues to doubt Friday and believes that the unnatural years Friday spent w...