Disgrace book by J.M. Coetzee

J.M. Coetzee wrote the book The Disgrace, in which she discusses the topic of terror and suspicion. The author asserts unequivocally in this novel that political reform as a whole cannot end human suffering. The Disgrace was published in the aftermath of South Africa’s new constitution. The rule stated that all men and women should be treated equally and thus have the same rights. The statute granted certain rights, including sexual orientation (Graham 439). During this time, the country was rife with crime, which affected many people. Murders rose at an exponential rate between 1989 and 1994. It suffices to mention that young African woman faced rape at least twice in their lifetime (Graham 433). This paper is seeking to analyze the rape of Lucy, Melanie, and sexual escapades of David by applying psychoanalysis.

The psychoanalytic theory can be used to understand the challenges that Lucy and Melanie’s experiences affect the rape ordeal. The theory examines human behavior about psychological footprints (Mardorossian 72). Ideally, the theory asserts that human minds require energy to make it perform functions such as thinking, remembering, planning, and feeling. In this case, if an individual is faced with an adverse situation decisions are made to remedy it. Rape is one of the leading issues that the author has addressed in the book. J.M Coetzee has used different characters to highlight this plight (Graham 434). The main character in the novel is David who has a daughter christened Lucy. She is raped by a gang of three men who had gone to steal valuables from her house. Lucy undergoes a brutal rape but fails to report this incidence to the police or anybody. The reason for not informing authorities and relatives is described as touching on private matters. Also, Lucy decides to remain silent because it is clear that justice will not be served after all. Indeed, the relationship between her and the father is altered after this heinous incident (Mardorossian 77). At this point, Lucy was of the opinion that both women and men judged her. There was an apparent division between the genders and worse still her father had misjudged her (Graham 444). Lucy is portrayed as a lesbian in the story. It is crucial to point out that early experiences in life modify behavior, beliefs, and attitudes.

The author posits that Lucy’s father kept looking at his daughter while undergoing the harsh rape experiences. It is critical to mention that as a result of these events, Lucy enters to a phase of depression and fear. The father is evidently unable to comfort her. Rape is always an act that is characterized by violence, loss of dignity, and breeds hate (Mardorossian 74). The men who sexually assaulted Lucy were not known to her, but it becomes a personal and dehumanizing issue. David implores on her daughter to prosecute the rapist, but she refuses to so. Instead, Lucy has chosen to make peace with the community as a way of moving forward (Graham 435). From the story, one of the attackers who raped Lucy was a relative of Petrus’ wife. However, Lucy ignored this and requested for protection from Petrus’ family. There is clear evidence that the law never treated the citizens of South Africa equally. The society is riddled with dishonor and guilt as David commits sexual abuses and gets away with them. Lucy appears to struggle with the justice systems even after she has been abused (Mardorossian 81). The social problems such as apartheid that bedeviled the nation back then made it hard for both African men and women to feel secure and protected.

Moreover, psychoanalysis thrusts that life is painful. Human beings are required to apply defense mechanisms to protect psyche from adverse effects. These strategies are an essential part of human functioning. There is evidence that the several human desires make people endure painful life experiences (Mardorossian 79). Most people divert these problems by applying psychological ‘shock absorbers.’ The book highlights the failure of the justice system to help victims such as Lucy. The notion of retribution is discussed in light of innocence and guilt. The author has explored the morals that underlie the justice paradigm (Graham 434). Melanie perseveres with inhuman treatment by David. She fears that if the society uncovers what is going on, she will be looked at as an outcast. Therefore, she hides everything even when it is apparent that all is not well. The racial gap between David and Melanie accounts for the confusion in her behavior low self-concept (Mardorossian 80). Melanie was brought up in a cultural set up that drew a massive line in the lives of white and the black people in South Africa.

Further, anything that happens to the mind has particular and an identifiable cause which is referred to as psychic determinism. The unconscious urges harbored by people influence their behaviors. Human beings have a lot of desires, conflicts, and motivations that emanate below the consciousness (Mardorossian 82). It suffices to mention that human beings are often driven to act in a particular manner by instinctual urges that include aggression and lust, unconscious, and animalistic desires. The urges are always in conflict with the societal expectations. Most people are motivated by psychosexual pleasure (Graham 443). In the book, David who is a professor teaching the love poets falls in love with a young student. The student appeared to be uneasy owing to the age of the man and the social expectations. It is morally wrong to befriend a young woman who is a student (Mardorossian 81). However, David fails to respect himself and his profession. As a result of this relationship, the university decides to sack him. The strong ego of David is displayed by the fact that even after being relieved of his duties, he is not remorseful. David finds solace in the idea of having gratified her sexual desires.

An individual’s personality is shaped by the manner in which psychic conflicts are resolved. People must learn how to efficiently resolve the misunderstandings between the Ego, Id, and the Superego (Graham 433). The ability to achieve positive results is dependent on how a person manages to handle the numerous psychosexual stages right from childhood. Early life experiences determine an individual’s personality. It is evident that David’s sexual expeditions are a result of early developmental stages (Mardorossian 75). When David travels to visit his daughter Lucy, he finds himself befriending and having sex with her neighbor who runs the clinic (Graham 436). According to David, women are sexual objects that are useful for gratifying the needs of men. This is an illustration of how women are devalued in the society.

His personality influences the perception of David towards the female gender. He has developed strong sexual desires that require gratification almost all the time. He feels bored when not in the company of women. When he comes across Melanie Isaacs, who is a young student in poet discourse, he invites her for a drink in his house (Graham 438). Melanie desires to work as a designer and stagecraft. As a result, she is not interested in literature. Melanie asks David if he has ever been married. David replies that he has married twice but would not mind sleeping with her. Melanie is shocked and poses a question to David as to why she should have sex with him. According to David, a woman beauty is not for her alone and therefore ought to be shared with men (Mardorossian 72). The society influences an individual’s behavior. Perhaps David was born and raised up in a family and a society the disrespected women. David opines that women are duty bound to share their bodies with the menfolk.

In the novel, there is a visible tension between masculine disgrace and feminine shame. Due to his personality, David has not been able to have many relationships. However, he has managed to maintain a relationship with the daughter for shelter and companionship to retreat from the various sex scandals (Graham 441). Lucy passes very little judgment on her father. She points out that David is reaping the consequences of love affair has been having. Lucy is a strong character who wishes not to engage in blame games. One peculiar trait of women that has been highlighted by Lucy is the women are forgiving. Moreover, Lucy is playing an important of nurturing his father. It is from her place the David airs his controversial opinions without facing excommunicated (Mardorossian 72). There are several differences between Lucy and her father. David wonders how he and his wife managed to raise a sturdy, throwback young settler. It is arguable that maybe it is not them who influenced Lucy’s personality. It is historical events that have shaped her way of life in a big way.

The author writes that women are considered to be the property of men. Once men own them, they can be protected by them. Lucky is a lesbian and therefore “unowned” meaning any man can seduce her (Mardorossian 76). The novel suggests that it is her sexuality that provoked those who attacked her. As a result, Lucy has lost self-esteem as she points out that in this country she has experienced violations which she cannot make public (Graham 439). Lucy is striving not to part of the history of oppression in South Africa. The novel presents the challenge of inequalities between men and women. The hatred that fills the heart of black and white people is shown in the rape and counter-rape actions. The environment of mistrust, fear, threats, and racism fuelled misunderstandings.

David is portrayed as hoarding a lot of predatory behavior. He kept monitoring Melanie while rehearsing a play as a hairdresser. His primary intention is to fulfill insatiable sexual desires. David appears at Melanie’s apartment and in a surprise move forces her to have sex (Graham 444). David is a social pervert because, despite all the indications that Melanie does not approve of having sex with him, he carelessly says that she never refuses (Mardorossian 77). The sexual overtures of David have left Melanie with psychological problems since she is feeling abused and disrespected by a man who older than her. The effect of her sexual assault is a failure to go for classes and misses her exams. David is willing to do anything so that he can maintain her. He decides to falsify a grade for Melanie without sitting for the exams. As a young woman, Melanie is likely to face obstacles in her quest to cope with the environment (Mardorossian 79).

David is willing to pay anything to maintain his relationship with Soraya who is the prostitute. David has solutions which are clear-cut and with no complications to his sexual challenges. He has a weakness in maintaining a stable relationship with a single woman (Mardorossian 72). David opines that his love life is uncomplicated. The reason for this problematic nature of intimate life is his disrespect and annoying behavior. Given David’s behavior, one can point out that he operates from the Id which is the primitive part of the human mind. His actions are not rational but somewhat irrational. In the novel, David treats the women superficially. Soraya who is a Muslim woman is depicted as a complicated woman yet David does not know anything concerning her (Graham 439). He shows a carefree attitude in that he has never inquired the number of children she has, where she lives, her age, or her real name. This illustration points to how he is only interested in sex. The Disgrace novel shows how women are subjected to rape and forced sexual feelings.

In conclusion, it is apparent that the society plays a critical role in shaping up an individual’s personality. The psychoanalytic theory explains how the psychosexual stages impact on the behavior of people. There is an interrelationship of factors that influence relationships within the society. Actions are either expressed consciously and unconsciously. There is evidence that gratification of sexual desires in human beings is more pronounced in human beings compared to other animals. Victims of rape feel disoriented and withdrawn. Rape transcends societies, races, religion, and geopolitical boundaries. Lucy and Melanie’s stories represent the place of women in the society. In certain cultures, they are viewed as property owned by men, and therefore they must be submissive to them. In a nutshell, to understand victims of rape, it is essential to examine the background and the socio-cultural interconnectedness.

Works Cited

Graham, Lucy V. “Reading the Unspeakable: Rape in J.M. Coetzee’s Disgrace.” Journal

of Southern African Studies, vol. 29, no. 2, June 2003, pp. 433-44, www.jstor.org.vlibdb.vcccd.edu/stable/pdf/3557371.pdf. Accessed 10 Nov. 2017.

Mardorossian, Carine. ”Rape and the Violence of Representation in J.M. Coetzee’s

Disgrace.” Indiana University Press, vol. 42, no. 4, Jan. 2011, pp. 72-83,http://www.jstor.org.vlibdb.vcccd.edu/stable/pdf/10.2979/reseafrilite.42.4.72.pdf. Accessed 9 Nov. 2017.