Disgrace – Feminist Theory

For my final blog post for J.M Coetzee’s “Disgrace” I decided to make my post about applying the feminist theory to the novel.

I enjoyed many elements of the book. It was very symbolically as well as multi-dimensional. However, the novel was not an easy read.

The story of “Disgrace” is around the rape of two woman, Melanie and Lucy. Melanie was a student of David Lurie whom he had found a great deal of sexual interest in, and ended up raping her. Lucy is David’s daughter. She was raped by three men who invaded her home and attacked her. Although this novel is heavily about rape, the two women rarely discuss their own trama. Lucy refuses to talk about her rape to anyone, and when she does she gives only a few sentences to describe her thoughts on the situation. Melanie was also quite silent after her testimony in court. This was due to David’s choice to not read her statement.

David Lurie character was very odd, however quite intriguing. For instance, “Maybe, for men, hating the woman makes sex more exciting. You are a man, you ought to know” (135, Coetzee). This quote to me meant that the reader, and even David are made painfully aware of his complicity by committing the same horror against another human being. Lucy’s rape become more of a political metaphor as “a history of wrong. Think of it that way, if it helps. It may have seemed personal but it wasn’t” (98, Coetzee).  Women’s experiences became metaphors for the redistribution of land when Lucy’s rape aligned with Petrus’ desire to obtain her land. It is Petrus complicity in the rape, as Lucy is now pregnant. Lucy being pregnant allows for Petrus to have control of her, her land, as well as demand they get married. Lucy begins living a very isolated life.

Through the story, the way Coetzee describes woman is quite disturbing, especially through David. He describes his own daughters breasts and butt as “ample”. He also describes Bev as a woman who makes little effort to look attractive. David turns to religion at the end of the novel to reassert the idea the the woman in his life have enriched him. He had said that their pleasures, desires, and humanity had an important impact on his life, which enriched him.

Lucy had told her father that she is not a minor character in her life. David and Petrys battle over his daughters body, while she fights to regain control. Coetzee talks about “virgin” terrien. He had emphasized this through Lucy’s sexual orientation. “No wonder they are so vehement against rape, she and Helen. Rape, god of chaos and mixture, violator of seclusions. Raping a lesbian worse than raping a virgin: more of a blow” (112, Coetzee). Lucy’s sexuality had become an interpretation of “virgin soil”. Lucy is gay, and was untouched by men before she was raped by the three men.

Coetzee reminds readers that women’s bodies, objects, clothing and and are all things that can be taken, be damaged, or even dominated by the men in the world. He used Melanie’s rape to mirror Lucy’s rape, and to draw attention to the racial differences and similarities. However, he does not give the woman voices as the woman are silenced by the mens attempts to dominate them.

To conclude, this novel can be analyzed with the feminist theory through Coetzee’s own words, “he can, if he concentrates, if he loses himself, be the men, inhabit them, fill them with the ghost of himself. The question is, does he have it in him to be the woman?” (198, Coetzee). David NEVER wonders if he could put himself in his daughters place, or even Melanie’s. He does not empathize their feelings as a victim. He can imagine being a rapist, a violent one in fact, however he can not imagine being the victim, and being violated.