Abstract 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." "
Abstract This paper explains that J.M. Coetzee's "Disgrace", an allegory of rape and reconciliation of South Africa's past and present, depicts a "new", post-apartheid South Africa wherein deep societal changes and crimes of the past haunt the present, obscuring reality. The author points out that South Africa has one of the highest incidents of rape in the world; and, in "Disgrace", Coetzee exploits this characteristic to frame the political questions, which face the country. The paper relates that the book suggests that South Africa should recognize apartheid but to dwell on it and to blame it for the problems, will only lead to more grudges and distrust.
From the Paper "Raped in her home by three black males, who she sees as wanting to subjugate her (159), she decides not to even mention the "truth" of what happened in order to keep peace. In Coetzee's new South Africa then, the men subjugate women as whites once did to indigenous people. Lucy's decision to give birth to the mixed-race baby represents an acceptance of past crimes and their aftermath but also a next step, for as she reminds her father, "it will be a child of this earth."(216) The infant can be seen as the new South Africa: biracial, born of hate and violence, yet one for whom "love will grow" (216). Furthermore, her refusal to return to Holland suggests that the migration trend among young white South Africans isn't the way to go. She stays "not for the sake of an idea," (105) but because to leave would be a "defeat," (161) an acceptance of the impossibility of harmonious race-relations in South Africa."
Abstract This paper analyses the role and presence of Foucauldian discourse and power in sexual and social relations in J. M. Coetzee's "Disgrace". It looks at some of the existing discourses and power relations in "Disgrace" in order to see how the characters are dominated by the power and discursive representations as the controlling forces found in the novel. In addition, the paper also studies the reactions of the antagonist and the protagonists to the social codes which are defined, legalized, and applied by the forcing discursive systems and power relations.
Outline:
Introduction
Power And Discourse: A Foucauldian Analysis
Postcolonial Power Relations And Discourse
Conclusions
From the Paper "The study of power in sexual and social affairs in Disgrace promotes making a paradigm in which the modality of colonizer/colonized binary opposition is destroyed. Petrus is not a colonized Negro, but a man who "has a vision of the future in which people like Lucy have no place" (156). This sentence shows that the power shift is still in progress, because Lucy lives in the vicinity of Petrus, and she may marry him and submit her land to him. This alteration in power relations causes the formation of the specific discourses which brings about the blacks' reaction to the white's presence. These discursive collections do not eliminate David's pessimism to Petrus. He thinks that "Petrus engaged three strange men to teach Lucy a lesson, paying them off with the loot" (157). If so, David's unconscious signals the growth of the postcolonial power transition from colonizer to colonized. Lucy is aware of the reason for the blacks' hatred of the whites. She "acknowledges that whites are on the debit side of the ledger and henceforth will live as intruders in South Africa" (Bonnici 90). "
This paper is a book review of Nobel Prize winner J.M. Coetzee's "Disgrace" about sexual and racial 'others' who help the protagonist regain his sense of moral responsibility as a father, teacher and human being.
Abstract This paper explains that, on the surface, the title refers to the fall from grace, which the main character David Lurie has recently experienced in his professional life as a college professor, who has been left with nothing, neither romance nor vocational recourse. The author points out that the book begins by Lurie resolving to attempt to completely segment sexuality from his human interrelations with people; however, he begins to feel affection for one of the prostitutes he has implicated in his solution, an act that foreshadows his involvement with his student and his subsequent falling from his position and status in South African society. The paper relates that the title's second level or resonance refers to Lurie's lesbian daughter Lucy, who has to some extent chosen her disgrace or marginalized status.
From the Paper "But merely because Lucy loves her work does not mean that she can avoid calamity. The issue of sexual disgrace again arises after the Lurie's daughter is raped, in a fashion that causes him to further call into question the issues of female sexuality and male protectiveness from a father's rather than a lover's point of view. Lurie realizes he was totally helpless to physically protect his daughter from sexual molestation. As a man and a father, he could not save Lucy from unwanted sexual danger, seemingly confirming what he sees as her apparent distrust and dislike of men."
Abstract This literary study examines the villain and the victim in the novel "Disgrace" by J.M. Coetzee. It analyzes the characters of David Lurie as the main villain of the novel and David's daughter Lucy who is considered to be the victim of the novel. The paper describes the plot of the story with quotes as it focuses on these two protagonists and their roles in the story.
From the Paper "When David is fired for seducing Melanie at the College, he eventually goes to live with his daughter, Lucy. Lucy owns a farm and also works at an animal shelter in the region. Although David has been disgraced, his daughter takes him into her home and he begins to work alongside her as a farmer. However, the simplicity of life that David is seeking is not present, as he and his daughter are attacked by three black men. Lucy is raped, which changes David's misogynist view of women. Certainly, Lucy is the victim in this story, as she must now live with the memory of her attackers and the pain that she endured."
An analysis of how both Toni Morrison's novel,"The Bluest Eye", and J. M. Coetzee's novel, "Disgrace", subtly comment on the race and gender within their respective societies.
Abstract This paper analyzes, compares and contrasts Toni Morrison's novel, "The Bluest Eye" and J.M. Coetzee's novel, "Disgrace". The paper describes the approach to gender and race in each book and notes that, although they have fundamental differences, both Morrison and Coetzee contend that, despite political actions to create a "colorless, raceless, genderless" society, social stigmas are hard to eliminate.
From the Paper "Coetzee's novel "Disgraced" focuses on the life of David Lurie in post-apartheid South Africa. In the wake of political reforms that has changed the policies of the entire government, Coetzee attempts to show through his novel that racism and sexism are still as prevalent as ever. Lurie is castigated from society for his love of Byron Romanticism, and demonized as a sexual offender because of his illicit relationship with a much younger student. Ultimately, the plot surrounds the brutal rape of David's daughter Lucy, which results from the neglect of the rural community outside of Cape Town. The purpose of Coetzee's novel is to reveal the truth behind South African social lore, instead of the equality that is suppose to pertain to the post apartheid era, it is evident that without much structural support there is little political changes can make on social opinion and stigma. Ultimately the same sentiments that existed preceding the apartheid are still evident through this narrative. It is a story of dehumanization and indignity, with the focus on the fall of David Lurie's self-respect and a deeper understanding of social stigma."
Abstract In America, fame and celebrity have become ends to and of themselves, often at great cost to those who seek fame. This paper shows how Elizabeth Searle's "Celebrities in Disgrace" and the 1999 movie "Ed TV" help to demonstrate the high costs of fame and celebrity. Ultimately, America's obsession with notoriety reveals the superficiality and spiritual and moral bankruptcy of a nation that seemingly values fame more than accomplishment. The paper explains how "Ed TV" and "Celebrities in Disgrace" show us some of the real costs of this attitude. While fame may be a very quick, superficial fix to our problems, it ultimately fails to affect any deep changes. The paper argues that real growth has to come from effort and insight, and a desire for a deeper knowledge.
From the Paper "In recent years, America has seen an unprecedented explosion of people in the public consciousness, and fame has become a goal in and of itself. Certainly, the glut of reality television has made instant celebrities of a wide number of people who have no special talents or abilities. These celebrities are simply everyday people who are thrust into notoriety.
This democratization of fame has come at a high cost. Today, fame and celebrity are goals of their very own. People strive to be on these reality television shows, and children like Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold seem to have relished the idea of fame that would follow their horrific school massacre in Columbine. Perhaps those seeking fame feel that it will imbibe their sad lives with meaning. After all, in America, fame is coveted and sought after. America has long believed that successful people are somehow happier and better than the rest of us. As such, it is not such a stretch to believe that those who have achieved celebrity live in a much different and happier world than the rest of us."
Abstract This paper explores the motives behind the actions of the three main characters in the story, "The Scarlet Letter." Dimmesdale, Chillingworth and Hester's characters are delved into in order to give the reader a better understanding why the story unfolds as it does. Each of these characters has a hidden agenda, and in many cases this is influenced by certain character traits that they have managed to keep hidden from the public's view. Using several examples from the story, the author illustrates how despite great hardship, Hester maintains her personal dignity and honesty, while the male character's are constantly at war with their public and personal personas.
From the Paper \\\"Fortunately for Chillingworth, Arthur's conscience is progressively winning the battle against his front of respectability. But unfortunately for Chillingworth, Arthur may not give in the way he predicts or hopes. In fact, the moment of truth comes when Chillingworth is engrossed with some other business and he appears at the scaffold area just in time to hear the dying clergyman's pronouncement of sin. Chillingworth receives total justice through this intense suffering in both Arthur and Hester, but nothing farther in the inner world. Arthur falls, not into his vengeful hands, but into the Creator's alone to whom Arthur sinned. Death enables Arthur to escape Chillingworth's revenge: ?Hadst thou sought the whole earth over ... There was no one place so secret ? no high place nor lowly place where thou couldst have escaped me ? save on this very scaffold!? (Ch 23)\\\"
Abstract This paper examines the life of Thomas Cardinal Wolsey (1475-1530) who was the Lord Chancellor to King Henry VIII. It provides a brief outline of his life from his childhood, education, rise in the church and finally to his position under the King. It looks at how Wolsey was treated as a trusted and capable, if ambitious, man who carried out the King's will but often did so in ways that he devised himself and not infrequently, developed strategies of his own that were sanctioned by the King. It analyzes whether Wolsey's eventual disgrace and fall and Henry's willingness to treat him as a scapegoat merit the term pawn and how Wolsey's status as his own man, rather than a pawn of the King, must be judged in terms of what he wished to accomplish rather than by current standards.
From the Paper "Wolsey was the son of a prosperous grazier and his brilliance secured him a place at Magdalene College Oxford. He was ordained in 1498 and began his relatively slow climb to eminence by serving various influential men until, in 1507, he became chaplain to Henry VII and, in 1509, was appointed almoner and counselor to Henry VIII. From that point on Wolsey's rise proceeded at great speed--in both the ecclesiastical and secular realms. In 1514 he was appointed archbishop of York and in 1515 he was elevated to cardinal and to Lord Chancellor. Wolsey always coveted the position of archbishop of Canterbury, who was usually the effective head of the English church since the only other archbishopric in England, York, took in only the impoverished northern reaches. Gaining the cardinal's hat helped him achieve greater prominence in the church but it was not until, in 1518, Wolsey achieved the unusual status of papal legate (legatus a latere), or papal viceroy, that the cardinal became "as supreme over the English Church as Henry's favor made him over the English state" (Bindoff 83)."
Abstract This paper addresses the continued controversy surrounding the use of Native American persons and images as sports-team mascots. The paper presents cogent reasons why these cultural images should not be used because they destroy more pride (in the Native American people who find them offensive) than they create for the sports fans in the community. The paper approaches the issue from a psychological and anthropological perspective. 4 pgs. Bibliography lists 4 sources.
Tags: NATIVE-AMERICAN STUDIES, native american mascots
Abstract This paper focuses on domestic or spousal violence against women, bearing in mind the continuing regularity of sexual assault beyond the family and stray incidences of violence and harassment that many Canadian women experience. Thinking Canadians regard violence against women as a moral disgrace yet research suggests that it has become very common, making it essential to dig deeper into what is creating this situation, in addition to what can be done to ameliorate it.
Abstract This paper examines Sophocles's tragic Greek play, "Antigone", where characters who value love, emotions, duty, bravery, and honor, meet the characters that are full of hate, fear, carelessness, and disgrace. It shows how the brightest among them are Antigone and Creon and discusses how Antigone carries the tragic focus throughout the play, but Creon overtakes that "role" at the very end. It shows how, although Antigone suffers, waiting for her death for the most of the play, she wants to die, and she dies in glory and how, although Creon is the bad character throughout the play, only at the very end do we see that he is the real tragic figure.
From the Paper "Antigone has to go over hard times, bringing on her shoulders the shame that her father brought upon her family. Antigone has even stronger feelings about her relatives who are dead because they cannot protect themselves from peoples? gossips. Antigone cannot stand the fact that her brother Polynices lies unburied, his body being torn by the animals. And Gods are unhappy too; the body needs to be given the burial right. As Tiresias tells Creon that he had robbed the Gods below, keeping the dead body up on earth (stanza 1188). Antigone cannot let more disgrace go upon her family. She buries her brother's body with her own hands."
Abstract This paper provides an overview of Richard M. Nixon, followed by a review of past representations of Nixon together with more recent historical revisions of how his admirers, and even his long-time critics, have been willing to forgive and forget Nixon's domestic peccadilloes in favor of his more positive accomplishments on the foreign policy front. A summary of the research is provided in the conclusion.
From the Paper "Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th president of the United States from 1969 to 1974. Confronted with almost certain impeachment for his part in the Watergate Scandal, Nixon became the first American president to resign from office; he was also vice president (1953?1961) under President Dwight D. Eisenhower (Richard Nixon 2004). While president, Nixon was responsible for the eventual U.S. withdrawal from Vietnam, and the normalization of relations with communist China; however, at home, his culpability in the cover-up of the Watergate scandal and the existence of a "slush fund" for political machinations during his reelection campaign of 1972 forced him to resign in 1974 when threatened with impeachment. Nixon was granted a presidential pardon by his appointee, Gerald R. Ford, but many critics suggested a connection even here."
Abstract This paper examines how Sophocles's portrayal of the character, Oedipus, in his drama, "Oedipus Rex," is an excellent example of one character's unrelenting search for the truth. It looks at how the truth as Oedipus knows it and the truth as it is differ greatly and how Oedipus's actions bring about his own demise. It explores how the reality of his situation is slowly realized as the play progresses and how we see a transformation from Oedipus as the brave and arrogant leader to Oedipus as the disheartened and disgraced man.
From the Paper "When Creon returns to Thebes with his message from Delphi he reports
that the gods have ordered Thebes to dispel the murderer of King Laios.
The murder was not freshly committed and few clues have been left behind by the perpetrator. Still, Oedipus is ambitious and quickly sets about asking questions to better understand the circumstances of Laios's death. He learns that the late king and a band of followers were killed on the highway and the only witness to the event was so badly frightened that he remembered next to nothing. Oedipus knows that he needs to do as the oracle commands, however because Thebe's problems cannot be resolved otherwise."
Abstract This paper discusses Cormac McCarthy's novel, "Blood Meridian". The paper examines how McCarthy reveals the dark side of the human soul, dressing it in actual historical events. His detailed depictions sicken and fascinate, focusing the reader on all that is disgraceful, bloody and sour in the human spirit.
From the Paper "The human animal has stalked the earth for millennia, feeding on knowledge and growing in cunning. It has refined its methods of survival to spectacular heights. Yet, an incurable illness resides within its being. Clothed in the veneer of civilization, the human animal fails to overcome its violent nature. Like the scorpion ferrying the frog, it must obey a deeper rule. Never at peace, the species has sought new and more scintillating experience. Its big brain is in search of more; more power, more territory, more recognition, more. Regardless of the fa?ade, its motivation wells from a deep insatiable instinct to reign. The human animal must conquer, defeat and control. Negotiation is loss of power and the thirst for power is at the core of the creature."
