"Disgrace"--A Review

Paper Summary:

This paper explores J.M. Coetzee's view of a changing South Africa as seen through his novel "Disgrace." The paper discusses Coetzee's position as a white liberal in South Africa and shows how his views are reflected in the experiences of David Lurie, the novel's protagonist. The reviewer sees Coetzee and Lurie as experiencing a conflict regarding the post apartheid social and political climate. According to the paper, this results in cynicism and pessimism. The paper also points out that few Black characters appeared in the novel, and that these characters were described in a negative light. The reviewer saw this also as a reflection of Coetzee's ambivalence about the new South Africa.

From the Paper:

"The truths surrounding Coetzee's views on racial politics are carefully embedded in his novels, leaving any ultimate meaning openly contentious. Within Coetzee's novel Disgrace are passages which reflect what Kwame Dawes: The Writings of J. M. Coetzee. Special Issue of the South Atlantic calls Coetzee's "conflicted white liberal sensibility." "

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