John Maxwell Coetzee is a famous South African novelist and recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature (“J. M. Coetzee – Biographical” para. 5). He is famous for his interest to South Africa. Very often he was trying to reveal problems, still existing there. His works are mostly devoted to problems of racism, place of a man in this world and relations between people which represent different layers of society. He is known to be awarded with the Booker Prize.
One of his works which brought its author this prize is Disgrace. This work is traditionally devoted to problems of South Africa. The author describes life of a white man in a black country, trying to reveal problems of community of that time. The story has a clear plot which makes the reader follow its development and read the story trying to understand the authors idea.
Sometimes it becomes very difficult to recognize the protagonists motifs and his complicated character. Being a very confusing person, David Lurie is an example of a man who is not able to adapt to new conditions, making outrageous mistakes, though changing gradually.
The main character of the story is David Lurie. He leads usual life, teaching students at the University and trying to satisfy his own physical needs. However, these needs become one of the main reasons for his fall. The author shows us a man which is not able to resist his own desires. With this in mind, it is possible to say, that the question of self control and ability to take into account desires of other people are crucial for this work.
Moreover, from the beginning of the story issue of sex and sexual desire becomes very important. David is trying to satisfy his needs looking for sexual partners. However, he is rather selfish and thinks only about himself. David enjoys his relations with Soraya. He likes the way they meet and feeling of comfort their meetings give to him.
However, he does not manage to save their relations, being not able to control his curiosity and poaching on her preserves. He finds out that she has a family and leads double life. “He is all for double lives, triple lives, lives lived in compartments. Indeed, he feels, if anything, greater tenderness for her. Your secret is safe with me, he would like to say.” (Coetzee 5). This discovery destroys his relations with Soraya.
The same deals with Davids student Melanie Isaacs. David knows that it is better for him to avoid her as she is his student and he has no right to have relations with her. He even tries to stop himself, though he is not able to do it. “he ought to let her go. But he is in the grip of something” (Coetzee 8).
Being one of the key moments of the story, this accident shows how weak Davids character is. This relation leads to Luries fall. “He pleads guilty but refuses to do so in the breast-beating, confessional way demanded of him and is dismissed” (Lowry para. 8). Sexual theme is again of a great importance here. Dark instincts of the main character takes over his mind.
However, there is sign of a slight change in Davids character. Having arrived at his daughter’s place, he says “Every woman I have been close to has taught me something about myself. To that extent, they have made me a better person” (Coetzee 26). Being rather sarcastic, this statement however, is partially true. It is impossible to remain the same, having experienced all these accidents. The change becomes more obvious when Lurie starts working at local animal hospital (Gerundo para. 10).
David spends a lot of time, doing something not for his own. Moreover, his daughters rape changes him totally. He forgets his selfishness and inability to think about someone but him. He now really cares about physical and emotional state of his daughter. He tries to be a good father, thinking a lot about his paternity “Lucy says I cant go on being a father forever. I cant imagine, in this life, not being Lucys father” (Coetzee 69).
Davids last relation with Bev Shaw shows that he has already changed. She is not the woman of his type, however, he spends a lot of time with her, communicating and enjoying himself enormously. Being not able to explain his affection to this woman, he just accepts it, trying to live with it.
Having read the story, it is possible to make some certain conclusions. First of all, it is possible to say that the author managed to create and describe the complicated character which has a lot of problems. David Lurie can serve as an example of a man who is not able to resist his own wishes. However, being forced to leave everything and start his life with a clean sheet, he changes. The change becomes obvious in the end of the story. David Lurie forgets his selfishness and starts a new life.
Works Cited
Coetzee, John. Disgrace. 1999. Web.
Gerundo, Todd. An Examination of Tragic Elements in J. M. Coetzee‟s Disgrace. 2011. Web.
Lowry, Elizabeth. Like a Dog. 1999. Web.
J. M. Coetzee – Biographical. 2003. Web.