Foe Lesson Plan

How does Coetzee begin to scrutinize our assumptions about literary narrative in this chapter?

In this chapter, Susan is writing to a famous author who is known for to "hear confessions" in the hopes that he'll tell her story. As the chapter progresses, her letters become more desperate, and she begins to question many of the conceits that we take for granted when encountering a story. Susan's desire transforms from one of money to the transmission of her story, to which she has developed an acute emotional connection.

Coetzee begins to deconstruct the assumptions we make in storytelling: we assume that we're being told the most important, salient details of a story,...