Where's the Trick?

 The beginning of Foe, which instantly captured me with the line "At last I could row no further" has a different effect after finishing part two. As we learn in the second section of the book, Susan Barton has been manipulated to tell a certain type of story by Foe. In this second section he almost becomes more prominent to the story than her time as a castaway. The book is titled after him meaning he must have a great influence on the narrative. She almost obsessively writes letters to him by the end of the section, and the entire chapter is formed around dialogue. This causes me to question whether or not she is a reliable narrator and because of the context of our class, how are we being manipulated? There doesn't appear to be a clear intention by the author to trick us or teach us something. Unlike "Grizzly Man," Cat's Cradle, and The Things They Carried there is no element of misguidance or trickery. I'm wondering where the construction of characters will come into play and when we'll be caused to question the reality of things. Her original purpose for the expedition was to find her daughter, but now that all appears unimportant. She is distracted by her new life and the loss of Cruso enough to forget her original motivations and realities.