Politically Correct?: An Analysis of J. Coetzee's Myriad Viewpoints in Disgrace.
The novel Disgrace depicts the confusing yet eventful life of David Lurie. .
Throughout the novel the author, J.M Coetzee, brings forth many differing viewpoints. It .
seems as though he is trying to play with the reader's emotions and sense of reality. What .
can be viewed in one light at the beginning of the novel can be viewed in a different light .
at the end of the novel. The author's conflicting suggestions towards various subjects .
helps in making the novel more interesting. Political correctness means little to Coetzee, .
and he plays on the fact that David does not care either. He uses the characters to bring to .
life many contrasting views of the same environment. He touches upon everything from .
love, to sex, to pride; however, a thorough examination of the novel Disgrace shows .
exactly how much Coetzee plays with the reader's emotions. .
The whole David and Melanie relationship is a perfect example of Coetzee's .
stance being difficult to pin down. He uses David as the scapegoat to make it seem as .
though he is to blame for the whole ordeal, however, the end of the novel brings a .
different view of the subject. There was a huge emphasis on the responsibility of the .
relationship in the beginning of the novel, as shown in the lines: "Don't make the .
situation more complicated than it need be. Responsibilities: She does not dignify the .
word with a reply." However, he never assumes any responsibility. He ends up as a man .
alone with dogs for company and he has a real void in his heart, for David only referred .
to love as passion. It was unclear as to whether or not David did in fact rape Melanie. She .
visited him a third time, of her own free will and did not seem uninterested; quite the .
opposite actually. Coetzee plays with the reader's emotions, making David seem like a .
( 2 ).
more compassionate and caring individual at the end of the novel.
