Survival in Post-Apartheid South Africa: Defending Lurie in Coetzee’s “Disgrace”

Coetzee’s “Disgrace” unerringly a work of magnificence, ventures into the life of David Lurie, a white South African professor, in a world where men such as him have been castrated of the powers they once possessed and is induced to re-evaluate his entire being, at an age when he believes change is improbable. Set in Post-Apartheid South Africa, it narrates the journey of Lurie, the trials and tribulations he undergoes and eventually an unwilling acceptance of self, putting up a facade of life. This study endeavours to defend Lurie’s mindset against the charges brought by Melanie at Cape Town and the charges brought by Lucy against his desensitization towards her resolution owing to his own pride. It also endeavours to disenthrall the theme of survival through Lurie’s as well as Lucy’s pursuit of the fine art of living in a culture that lies ravished and the struggles they faced stepping into a new journey. With Lurie’s redemption and Lucy’s resurrection, commence the consummation of each struggle bringing forth a reconciliation with the self.


Introduction
John Maxwell Coetzee, a literary magnum, born in Cape Town, South Africa, has bestowed upon the literary canon a number of remarkable works that earned him a number of accolades. He began writing in 1969, and in 1974 published his first ever work of fiction "Ducklands" that earned him the CNA prize. It was with the publication of "Life and Times of Michael K(1983)" that his reputation as a writer was well established and with "Disgrace(1999)" he won a historic second Booker Prize. His other works include "Waiting for the Barbarians(1980)", "Foe (1986)","Age of Iron(1990)", "The Master of Petersburg(1994)", two memoirs, essays and more. It is his literary splendour that earned him the Nobel Prize in the year 2003. The brilliance exuded by "Disgrace", is echoed by other reviews. For the Times, Disgrace was "a great novel by one of the finest authors writing in the English Language today." For the Independent, " Coetzee's prose is chaste and lyricalit is a relief to encounter writing as quietly stylish as this." If there is one emotion that pervades the post-modern era it is sadness and "Disgrace" is no exception to it. The protagonist , David Lurie, a fifty-two year old Professor of Communications, leading a life of solitude and on a quest to quench the thirst of his romantic desperation, which every man or woman is born with, finds delectation in a twenty year old student, Melanie. Engrossed in her mesmerizing beauty, Lurie pursues her and eventually ends up having coitus, violating the societal and academic rules and regulations. Unhindered David furthers his relationship with Melanie who slyly takes advantage of him, resulting in a harassment charge brought against him and ultimately his dismissal, making him a victim of societal expectations. In order to escape the tremors of his past life, Lurie turns to his daughter Lucy for comfort and seeks refuge at her pastoral small holding, in the rural east. This topic illustrates the brutalities of a post -Apartheid South Africa they endure, undergoing profound changes , in the process of self preservation, explicating, Lurie's standpoint at each phase. time. As she was well aware of the control she exercised over him and the longer he stays enchanted by her youthful splendour, the longer she could take advantage of him. Her guilefulness is prominently explicated in these lines; "She is behaving badly, getting away with too much; she is learning to exploit him and will probably exploit him further."( Disgrace, Pg.28).
She could have eluded Lurie, the way she remained absent from class, rather she walked willingly into his arms. David who defies social ethics and norms, following the code of conduct of his honest self and his pursuit of happiness and upon not getting any signs of objection from Melanie, certainly realizes that by engaging in coitus with a student he is breaking the university's regulations, but it matters the least to him. scarifying events in South Africa changed its course, collapsing the Apartheid state. It rekindled a spark of hope for the beginning of a new Africa and expected the dawn of a new era, ending the perpetuated exploitation of the people of colour. Even after its abolition, the minds of the long oppressed race was enshrouded with a cover of social, political and racial insecurity. In "Disgrace" Man desired to become the master of his own will with a motive to exercise dominance over land, its possession and seeked revenge for the years of exploitation they were exposed to on their own land. Lucy,an inhabitant of a pastoral small holding, who remains detached from all after that incident ,is left aghast by the hatred they show towards her even though they didn't know her. Describing the experience as "personal" ,Lucy averts herself from speaking further on the topic and vehemently denies to inform the police about it.
She adheres to her decision accepting the way of life and the harsh realities of survival being inclined towards her attachment to her farm., inspite of Lurie's protests, she remains firm in her decision. One day after a false news of their car having been found, Lurie confronts Lucy and persuades her to speak out the truth just to him, which she does. When Lurie asks her to move far away from the farm she declines and asks him to leave." I know you mean well, but you are not the guide I need, not at this time."(Disgrace, Pg.161).
Having confronted the brutality the land had to offer and having suffered through the worst , Lucy has an epiphany and takes it upon herself to be the harbinger of a New Africa, putting herself at stake to abridge the gap between the races. With this new perspective of life, she has a resurrection, and is glorified at the end as a Godlike figure, who sacrifices herself to save others from an impending doom. Lucy at the market. David, disgraced at his fall from his post at the university, disgraced at the rape of his daughter, he metamorphoses his dark feelings into affection that he confers upon the dogs. He who once detested the idea of country life, ultimately becomes a part of it.
Influenced by his daughter, and having been provided a refuge, while unraveling the mysteries of the mysterious land even though treated unjustifiably. Lurie accepts the cause of building a New Africa as his own. At the end a profound change overcomes him as he is seen moving from an intractably obstinate man, defying all barriers of age, to a passive old man, finding solace in the company of dogs and indulging in writing Opera.

Conclusion
Coetzee's "Disgrace" is a testament to the ever growing life, where change is the only constant. Though not completely guilty of the charges imposed on him, Lurie is disgraced