![]() ![]() ![]() The narrative is told from Laurie’s perspective he continually sexualises Melani and we are never given her side of the story. Whilst Lurie’s student Melani Isaacs does not reject his advances, he certainly seems to take advantage of her vulnerability he offers her alcohol at his house, and at no stage does he stop to consider what she might be thinking. Lurie proceeds to start an affair with one of his students. The novel opens with Lurie eliciting the services of an escort he attempts to form a romantic relationship with her despite discovering that she has a family and children outside her occupation. Lurie’s life revolves around his interactions with women. He is a polarising character and I found it difficult – especially as a female reader – to warm to him. The most striking aspect of Coetzee’s novel is his protagonist, David Lurie. From start to finish, it was a deeply uncomfortable read but that is why I think this novel is so important. Coetzee addresses the problem of masculinity and male violence, drawing out the racial implications of this within the political context of the novel. Set against the backdrop of post-Apartheid South Africa, it provides a commentary on what it means to be human in a country where the balance of power is shifting seismically. J.M Coetzee’s Disgrace is an incredibly conflicting novel. Evie Robinson explores masculine violence in Coetzee’s Booker Prize-winning novel. ![]()
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