Disgrace—the loss of respect, honor, or esteem; ignominy; shame*—is also a matter of perspectives. In J.M. Coetzee’s novel, Disgrace, disgrace play a key role and is in fact the key theme. Having read far into the first half of the book, the plot has already expanded far beyond imagining, but let me start from the beginning:
The first sentence is promising, having solved the problem of sex rather well. The problem of sex, a problem or more of an issue and state of mind? Can people classify sex as a problem? David Lurie, this novel’s protagonist, could not think of sex as a problem, but more as a pleasure (a private pleasure). The question of privacy is then put at risk, since Professor Lurie is thought of having sexually harassed one of his students. This student, Melanie, was used as a tool to fill a void, a way of filling a hole in Lurie’s heart. At the age of 52, David should in fact retire from his wild and vile ways (or so thinks society). He of course thinks not. Now, back to privacy. After Lurie was fired from Cape Technical University, he rejoins his daughter, Lucy, in South Africa on her farm. (SPOILER ALERT!) There, his daughter was raped, but she does not wish to tell the police of this assault.“The reason is that, as far as I am concerned, what happened to me is a purely provate matter. In another time, in another place it might be held to be a public matter. But in this place, at this time, it is not. It is my business, mine alone.” (112)
Why? Why would she not inform some official about a rape? Can someone really this stubborn; is it really so private? Realistically, a victim cannot be looked down upon; it was out of her control. Being an object in a rape is nothing uncommon, but to hold it against herself is. Could it just be the shock? We shall see later on as I continue my discussion on privacy in J.M. Coetzee’s Disgrace.*Dictionary.com definition
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