FoeWhen Susan Barton is marooned on an island in the middle of the Atlantic she enters the world of two men. One is a mute negro called Friday; the other is Robinson Cruso. The Island is a society already at work. Its rules are simple: survival, industry and order. Cruso is master and Friday is the slave. Susan watches the creation of a barren world - an architecture of stone terraces above bleak and empty beaches - and waits to be rescued. Back in London, with Friday in tow as evidence of her strange adventure, she approaches the author Daniel Foe. But Foe is less interested in the history of the island than in the story if Susan herself, and battle lines are drawn between writer and subject. Sole witness to this contest, as he was to the mystery of Cruso's island, is the silent Friday. |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
Africa arms ashore Bahia bailiffs began believe better boat boy Jack Brazil breath Bristol called cannibals captain cast castaway child Clock Lane clothes confession cuttlefish dancing dark daughter Deptford desire door dull ears England eyes feet fell fingers fish Flanders flute Foe's forever Friday Friday's tongue fronds gannet garden ghost gipsies girl grow hair hand head hear heard heart highwaymen kiss knew knife kraken lips live lost his tongue Low Countries master means mouth never Newington night pass Patagonia perhaps Portuguese rain replied robes rock sail seaweed seemed ship shoes silence skin slave sleep slept smell smiled speak Spoon staring Stoke Newington stood story sure Susan Barton tell terraces thought Thrush told took true truth turned Tyburn waiting watch waves whispered wind wish woman words writing