After re-reading the last chapter in J.M. Coetzee’s Foe, I believe the narrator in this section is none other than Daniel Foe. Being that chapter III and IV begin with the same line, “the staircase was dark and mean,” leads me to believe that chapter III was all imagined by Susan and she never reunited with Foe. But, in reality chapter IV can be interpreted as the only truth in this book, which is why the book is titled Foe. Daniel Foe is the only character that knows the truth about Susan and the island.
The chapter begins with Foe walking through a dark staircase and he stumbles over a body. He describes, “it does not stir, it makes no sound,” the body is lifeless, which leads me to believe that a lot of time has passed (153). For example, he informs the reader about the woman wrapped in a grey scarf to “weigh no more than a sack of straw” (153). The remains of a deceased body can compare to a sack of straw, again tying to time that has passed. It takes time for a body to perish. Also he describes skin, dry as paper and receded lips that uncover teeth. It seems that he is trying to find Susan’s remains. For Daniel to take the time to unwrap a dead person’s endless scarf goes to show that he is looking for Susan. The way he walks around the room is as if he is trying to find truth about Susan’s whereabouts. His search continues when he draws back the covers on page 153, “holding my breath, expecting disturbance, dust, decay; but they are quietly composed, he in a nightshirt, she in her shift”. Before the unveiling of these two bodies the reader gets the sense of dust surrounding his nose. Dust can be interpreted as an old and unpleasing smell. However the second he discovers the dead woman, which I assume is Susan, he gets a faint smell of lilac. Typically when one thinks of someone special usually one can smell him or her, which leads me to believe that it was Susan’s remains. He didn’t just say that he smelled something sweet, or flowers, he made sure the reader knew he smelled lilac, which is a very specific smell.
Next, Foe revealed to the readers that he is familiar with the island and the people 
on it. For example he states: “I find the man Friday…” the only way for Foe to know Friday is by the letters Susan sent to him. Also Friday seems to be the only one who has survived the longest. His body is warm; however his heartbeat is weak. Going back to the Susan’s letters on page 1 she writes, “…a Negro with a head of fuzzy wool”. Foe goes to tug on Friday’s hair and states: “it is indeed like lambswool” (154). For Foe to remark indeed, refers to him knowing that Susan had compared his hair’s texture to wool and makes it evident that Susan did communicate with Foe; once more leading me to believe that the narrator in the last chapter is Daniel Foe.
Lastly Foe stumbles upon one of Susan’s letters which again begin with, “at last I can row no further” (157). This is where it gets tricky and I presume that she didn’t know how she came to the island. By here repeating through the novel that she could not row any further, leads me to believe that she did not know how she wanted her story to begin. The comparisons in the letter that Foe found are the same descriptions he states to the readers which are odd. But I still stand strong and say that Foe is the narrator in the last chapter.
I guess Coetzee is the only one who really knows what is going on.
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