Post-apartheid South Africa in J.M Coetzee 's Disgrace J. M. Coetzee’s Disgrace (1999) follows the story of David Lurie, an English professor living in Cape Town, South Africa. David’s obsession with one of his students leads to his disgrace in the academic community. Disgrace explores various themes but in the succeeding discussion, the novel will be viewed within the context of apartheid and post apartheid South African society. Essentially, post-apartheid South Africa is characterized by the growing polarization between the white and black populations, discrimination, and racism despite the abolition of apartheid. Various aspects of Disgrace help establish the aforementioned themes in the narrative, especially the setting – post-apartheid
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The Rape of the Sabine Women is only one of the many stories of injustice against women. The setting of Disgrace, however, places this issue within context, specifically in relation to the concepts of ‘black peril’ and ‘the rape of the white woman by three black men’. Many criticized Coetzee for portraying interracial rape and sexual violence as a form of racism. Post-apartheid, some critics state that Coetzee’s novel reflects white people’s anxieties about black people (Graham 433). Some of white people’s anxieties post-apartheid is their fear of black people. White women also feel afraid that black men are sexually attracted to them. Through David, however, Coetzee portrays the prevailing racism and double standards in South Africa post-apartheid. David tells his daughter, “If they had been white you wouldn’t talk about them in this way” (Coetzee). Indeed, this illustrates the prevailing racism and double standards that white people in South Africa have against black people. Post-apartheid South Africa is marked by white people’s sense of entitlement
(Roy 699). Because of their privileged position in society, white people feel entitled
The Rape of the Sabine Women is only one of the many stories of injustice against women. The setting of Disgrace, however, places this issue within context, specifically in relation to the concepts of ‘black peril’ and ‘the rape of the white woman by three black men’. Many criticized Coetzee for portraying interracial rape and sexual violence as a form of racism. Post-apartheid, some critics state that Coetzee’s novel reflects white people’s anxieties about black people (Graham 433). Some of white people’s anxieties post-apartheid is their fear of black people. White women also feel afraid that black men are sexually attracted to them. Through David, however, Coetzee portrays the prevailing racism and double standards in South Africa post-apartheid. David tells his daughter, “If they had been white you wouldn’t talk about them in this way” (Coetzee). Indeed, this illustrates the prevailing racism and double standards that white people in South Africa have against black people. Post-apartheid South Africa is marked by white people’s sense of entitlement
(Roy 699). Because of their privileged position in society, white people feel entitled