Novelist J.M. Coetzee’s controversial book, Disgrace, caught a lot of negative attention. According to the article “Out of South Africa”, many of Coetzee colleagues called the book “racist”. The tension between races is very clear throughout the book. The representations of the black characters are negative images, reflecting white fears. In the book, there are a lot of minor characters depicted as evildoers, including the character of Petrus. Although Petrus was seen as a social climber who orchestrated Lucy’s assault to keep her land by the protagonist, David Lurie, Petrus was a very hardworking character throughout the novel building a better life for his family and himself.
At the beginning of Petrus story, he is Lucy’s assistant and co-proprietor …show more content…
She seeks him out in the hopes he will help her when her home is being invaded by two black African men and a boy. Unfortunately, Petrus was not there when Lucy was raped and her father attacked. On his returned, David Lurie accuses Petrus of orchestrating the attack to benefit himself by scaring Lucy into signing over the deed of the land. David was very frustrated when Petrus turned a blind eye on the attack against his daughter. We can see then that Petrus, in fact, is a protector but of his own family. Petrus takes Pollux under his wing, the boy who assaulted Lucy and now could possibly be the father of her unborn child. Petrus becomes a fatherly figure to a boy with mental illness, reflecting a sweet and caring side of …show more content…
When the opportunity presents itself with Lucy’s fear of being alone in her home, he offers her his protection in exchange for her land. His refusal to comment on Lucy’ rape infuriates David, but makes Lucy see how strong he can be when it comes to protecting family, and she agrees with the alliance. He became more known, and respected to his neighbors in Cape Town. Petrus character is an example of the opportunities blacks started to have in South Africa after apartheid despite Coetzee attempt to portray him as an opportunist taking advantage of a white women’s tragedy. Petrus, with the help of Lucy was able to stablish a better social status is his
At the beginning of Petrus story, he is Lucy’s assistant and co-proprietor …show more content…
She seeks him out in the hopes he will help her when her home is being invaded by two black African men and a boy. Unfortunately, Petrus was not there when Lucy was raped and her father attacked. On his returned, David Lurie accuses Petrus of orchestrating the attack to benefit himself by scaring Lucy into signing over the deed of the land. David was very frustrated when Petrus turned a blind eye on the attack against his daughter. We can see then that Petrus, in fact, is a protector but of his own family. Petrus takes Pollux under his wing, the boy who assaulted Lucy and now could possibly be the father of her unborn child. Petrus becomes a fatherly figure to a boy with mental illness, reflecting a sweet and caring side of …show more content…
When the opportunity presents itself with Lucy’s fear of being alone in her home, he offers her his protection in exchange for her land. His refusal to comment on Lucy’ rape infuriates David, but makes Lucy see how strong he can be when it comes to protecting family, and she agrees with the alliance. He became more known, and respected to his neighbors in Cape Town. Petrus character is an example of the opportunities blacks started to have in South Africa after apartheid despite Coetzee attempt to portray him as an opportunist taking advantage of a white women’s tragedy. Petrus, with the help of Lucy was able to stablish a better social status is his