Analysis of Coetzee's Disgrace - Book Report/Review Example

Argument Essay Coetzee’s Disgrace Disgrace, by Coetzee, appears a straightforward personal story, although it is much more examining. It explores different themes and subjects, including the delicate issue of rape, and also an evaluation of the complex racial interactions of post-apartheid South Africa. The varied subjects and complexities are exposed through the themes of animal treatment, which cause great attitude change in Lurie; fathers and daughters, as obvious from the unique father-daughter relationship between Lucy and Lurie. There is also that of race, where the legacy of racism is still seen, although apartheid was legally over. Other themes displayed through the book include rape, where Lucy is raped by the robbers at her house. The incident directs to the theme of justice: she fails to report the case – seeing no sense of justice in her society. The last theme is that of geriatric sexuality, where Lurie, a 52-year old, is portrayed as crossing age and departmental boundaries in chase of women. He is also shown as sexually active, as he has married twice in the past (Coetzee 10). Discussion The book clearly presents the position of men and women as well as sex and the disgrace that comes with it. The author writes these ideas through the eyes of Lurie, where the reader is exposed to his spoken dialogue as well as the unspoken thoughts – which portray his discourse, desire and passions. Even though the novel is written in third person, the language, perceptions and the thoughts of Lurie dominate the narrative, which shows that character development for all others is filtered through that of Lurie. However, exposure to Lurie’s person does not present intimacy; so much as it portrays his isolation. The question for the issue is if the character of Lurie could effectively work as the filtering point to develop the context for all other characters (Coetzee 10-17). Through the story, Coetzee simply represents other characters through that of Lurie. For example, he presents the position of all others as going through the subjective outlook of Lurie. However, this is not entirely true; as it appears that his shallow outlook of women is what has caused his two divorce cases and his inability to connect with any of the women. This leads to the idea that he is one character who could manage dealing with conscious women, pursuing to keep their ground, and those declining his sexual domination. For example, he often differed with the daughter, for she did not share in his wayward opinions. However, despite the success he finds in controlling women and manipulating their sexual life, Coetzee shows the rise of women, who prove his domination and sexual manipulation powerless (Coetzee 19-25). This experience is explicated through an account of his dealings with women, as the first few chapters introduce two of his lovers, Melanie and Soraya. These two women differ in ethnicity, age and education; the only shared characteristic is the relationship with Lurie, and his incapability to connect with their nature. Through Lurie, the reader is introduced to the encounters of prostitution, where affairs are founded on money. Through the nature of Soraya, Lurie is portrayed as a character that solves the problem of sex so outwardly, after failing through two of his earlier marriages. Lurie is shown as a character who likes keeping his affairs uncomplicated. For instance, the superficial relationship between the two shows why Lurie knows nothing about the character of Soraya, who is a Muslim woman. Through the character of Soraya, Lurie is portrayed as a character who does not regard societal rules, ethics or the law – thus presenting him as a totally selfish character. This makes clear his actions of crossing another boundary, to date his student, in a relationship that looks very superficial and grounded on selfish interests (Narvaez 157). Through the character of Melanie, Lurie is shown as one who reads her behavior through his own desires, as opposed to noticing her lack of interest in him and the absence of common interest between the two. Lurie’s insensitivity to women, rules, ethics and law is used to join the different characters into his own. For example, Melanie and Soraya are tied onto his subjection, one for money and the other by authority (Coetzee 16-19). Through their dealings, the superficial consideration for women is presented. This is evident through the case of Melanie, as she does not seem to object to his advances, but she does not seem to consent to them either. However, his control does not exist for long, as she lets the issue get known, which leads him to the public hearing. Therefore, through the work of Coetzee, it is evident that the character of Lurie is one that portrays the theme of male domination and the manipulation of sex, although women have the power to end the subjection (Narvaez 157). During the investigation over sexual harassment, the officials at the public trial bench are shown as pretentious people, who hold the trial to get a confession from Lurie, though he discerns their aim and fails to cooperate (Coetzee 40). After losing his job, Lurie moves to Salem, where the characters of Lucy, Bev Shaw and Petrus are portrayed through his eyes. For example, through the eyes of Lurie, his daughter Lucy is an anachronism. However, despite their major differences, they coexist very well. Through the character of Petrus, the indifference of Lurie is shown, as he does not seem to enquire about his personal life – simply accepting his servile status. Through the character of the Bulldog named Katy, Lurie is painted as one growing considerate with animals. For example, he falls asleep in her cage, and shows disgust for people who did not show care for the dog (Coetzee 43-52). Character development through the character of Lurie shapes the entire proceedings of the investigation, his relations and association at Salem, and a sense of change to become considerate after dealing with animals for a while. This is completely true, as the different dealings throughout the account revolve around his role, as a valuable employee at the university and a knowledgeable person at Salem (Ormond 47). However, for him to maintain his control he had to cooperate with other characters – for example the investigators over harassment, who sought to embarrass him and not offer justice to the abuse of Melanie. However, the account shows the flaws of his domination and the balance that he was supposed to keep, especially when dealing with others so that he could get his favor to remain supported (Coetzee 43-52; Narvaez 157). During the violent attack, during which the daughter is raped, Lurie’s character is portrayed through that of the criminals – as that of a caring father – despite their differences and the shallow dealings with others. Later on, the character of Lurie is developed through the eyes of Bev Shaw, who is portrayed as insensitive and inconsiderate to the rape of his daughter, as he does not share the sentiments that Petrus could be responsible for their attack. However, through the character of Bev, Lurie learns that he is better off keeping distance from her daughter, who was the only person that could understand the impact of her rape. At this stage, his character through those of the daughter and the criminals is portrayed as a considerate one, although he appears like he is still trying to manipulate others. For example, he seems to dictate what the daughter was to do, to effectively deal with the stress of her rape. He is also portrayed as one who seeks to control the outlook of others, for example, the view of Bev towards Petrus. However, he seems to give in to the influence of others, for example, the distance he kept with his daughter after he was advised so by Bev, showing a sense of dropping his manipulative ways (Coetzee 77). Later, the character of Lurie is shown through that of Mr. Isaacs, as he apologizes over the grief he had caused him and the wife, who, later promises to intervene for his return at the university (Coetzee 171). Through the character of Rosalind, Lurie’s ex-wife, Lurie is portrayed as a character who threw away his entire career for an affair (Coetzee 187). Through the different characters, his sense of alienation from society is portrayed. For example, he had been displaced from his job; his home raided, and was not warmly greeted by Elaine Winter, at the supermarket. Arguably, his alienation resulted from the earlier treatment of the other characters as though they were second best to him. For example, through the character of Rosalind, he is portrayed as a great self-deceiver (Coetzee 188) and according to Lucy, Lurie acted as though the lives of others formed only a part of his own (Coetzee 198). Conclusion The inadequacy of his self-centered approach culminates in his loss of everything; he suffered disgrace from his selfish perspective. To the end of the account, the character of Lurie is portrayed as the central point for character development, as his dealings with Mr. Isaacs and Rosalind seem to revolve around his role. For example, he is shown to influence them greatly, as he still receives their favor. For example, Mr. Isaacs promised to intervene for him at the University. However, his central role in developing the other characters fades, as he is shown as an object of ridicule from all other characters by the time the story ends. For this reason, it is clear that his central role as a character loses ground as the story continues to its end. Works Cited Coetzee, John. Disgrace. New York: Penguin Books, 2000. Print. Narvaez, Darcia. “Does Reading Moral Stories Build Character?” Educational Psychology Review 14. 2 (2002): 157. Ormond, Jeanne. Educational Psychology: Developing Learners. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill, 2003. Print. Read More