Most of the female characters in Disgrace can be seen as undermined, socially and psychologically. At the start, Lucy is an independent, strong female stating she makes the “decisions” (84) which shows us that she doesn 't conform to a male dominated society. Additionally, she doesn 't call David ‘Father,’ showing her reluctancy to allow him to be dominant. Her possession of a gun also shows power, however, whenever she is raped, it is used to shoot her dogs, showing male dominance. Lucy’s rapists are an example of how men can suppress females and masculine sexual identity as a different from males. Her fear is the only aspect of her subjectivity which the rapists allows to be expressed but also need to hear. She is contrasted with Melanie,
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South Africa lacks security and rape is on the increase. Petrus’ organised rape could be payback towards white inhabitants of South Africa as power is lost; “it came from the ancestors” (66) showing male domination for the black people in the community. The power has now shifted from a white man to a black subjugated man, although one male loses power, another gains. According to Harriet Bradley (I), gender is varied according to place, meaning male domination in South Africa is different to that in America, which is shown in Gone Girl as the male characteristics in it are different to those in Disgrace as Nick can be seen as passive in comparison to Petrus. Judith Butler (II) also backs this up as she discusses how gender is shaped through environment and therefore determined by society and culture which is shown through the black community in Disgrace. This is also evident in Rape a Love Story as Teena’s rapists are white, however it is stated that it would have been worse if they were “coked up niggers” (6) which backs up Butler and Bradley’s point that gender is effected by environment, emphasising male domination in different
South Africa lacks security and rape is on the increase. Petrus’ organised rape could be payback towards white inhabitants of South Africa as power is lost; “it came from the ancestors” (66) showing male domination for the black people in the community. The power has now shifted from a white man to a black subjugated man, although one male loses power, another gains. According to Harriet Bradley (I), gender is varied according to place, meaning male domination in South Africa is different to that in America, which is shown in Gone Girl as the male characteristics in it are different to those in Disgrace as Nick can be seen as passive in comparison to Petrus. Judith Butler (II) also backs this up as she discusses how gender is shaped through environment and therefore determined by society and culture which is shown through the black community in Disgrace. This is also evident in Rape a Love Story as Teena’s rapists are white, however it is stated that it would have been worse if they were “coked up niggers” (6) which backs up Butler and Bradley’s point that gender is effected by environment, emphasising male domination in different