Critical Analysis Of Transformations In Disgrace

A Critical Analysis of Transformations in Disgrace Disgrace was written by J.M. Coetzee, set in post-apartheid South Africa. The protagonist is David Lurie, which is a fifty-two professor of English, living in South Africa. He is fired for a sexual scandal with one of his students. Lucy is his daughter, living in an African countryside, but she is raped by three Negroes afterwards. The story depicts two white persons David and Lucy suffer helplessness and oppression under the post-apartheid Africa, reflecting the status of white settlers in South Africa is faded away. During the transformations of David from a lofty and knowledgeable professor to a down man working in a kennel, his social identity and cultural identity are changed as well.

He is divorced, for solving his sexual problem, he has a sexual relationship with a prostitute Soraya, who has “honey-brown body” (Coetzee 1). “The first time Soraya received him she wore vermilion lipstick and heavy eyeshadow. Not liking the stickiness of the makeup, he asked her to wipe it off. She obeyed, and has never worn it since. A ready learner, compliant, pliant” reflects Soraya is obedient to David, and it also evokes the superiority of David (5). Afterwards, David shows his favor to his student Melanie Isaac. Although Melanie is as young as being his daughter, David still wants to prove his male power through the youthful body. Besides, the profession of being a professor and his white skin also imply the superiority of David. “As though she had decided to go slack, die within herself for the duration, like a rabbit when the jaws of the fox close on its neck” shows the relationship between Melanie and David is like “rabbit” and “fox” (25). For the identity of David, he is the professor of Melanie, representing David is more powerful than Melanie. Thus, though Melanie is complaint, she is unwilling to be raped by David. Ultimately, unlike the obedience of Soraya, Melanie exposes the guilt of David. Under the oppression of the school committee, David is defeated by the sexual scandal with his student,

In post-apartheid South Africa, the white people of South Africa are hard to get rid of the superiority of being colonial settlers, affected their thoughts and behaviors, including David. He prefers to European culture, especially Byron. For his own perspective, he can “solved the problem of sex rather well” like Byron, on the contrast, he fails to deal with the sexual problem of Melanie actually (Coetzee 1). Moreover, Eurocentrism has a profound and deep influence on David’s thoughts. During the hearing of the sexual affair of Melanie, he says “Frankly, what you want from me is not a response but a confession. Well, I make no confession. I put forward a plea, as is my right. Guilty as charged. That is my plea. That is as far as I am prepared to go” (51). Based on his reaction of the hearing, it represents that David is not willing to apologize to Melanie, even if he feels guilt about his behaviors; because his superiority of being a white man is not allowed him to apologize to a black girl. However, when the Africans begin to get rid of the dominance of European countries, the social status of white men in South Africa is decreasing gradually. For example, the boyfriend of Melanie is brave to inform against the scandal of David, even if he is a white man. When he wants to go to the countryside to have a peaceful life, he finds the fact is contrary. Initially, he is hard to