Disgrace in the Novel Disgrace

¶ … Disgrace in the novel Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee

Post-apartheid South Africa in the latter part of 20th century was characterized as a transition from a white-centric to a black-centric society. As society's dominant sector was restored to the native Africans, "white" members of the society found themselves confronting the fact that they no longer held the control and power they had when apartheid was still tolerated in the country. In fact, the abolition of apartheid in South Africa signified new hope for the natives: no longer controlled by the whites, they can live life with hope, in accordance to their culture, and most importantly, exact revenge and control over white South Africans.

This was the social climate that J.M. Coetzee illustrated in his novel, "Disgrace." Set in post- apartheid South Africa, Coetzee demonstrated the dynamics between white and black South Africans, how the transfer of power led to significant changes in people's lives, though these changes, apparently, did not improve suffering and poverty in South African society in general.

Disgrace as a moral concept, then, is subjected to various interpretations in the novel. These different meanings and interpretations of disgrace reflect the fact that life did not improve for society in general despite the abolition of apartheid in the country. There may have been a transfer of powers from the whites to the natives, but this transfer of power did not influence the lives of poor South Africans, black or white. Thus, disgrace is still a part of people's lives, experienced only through different situations and degrees as perceived by the suffering individual.

Soraya was one of the characters in the novel that gave the first facet and meaning of disgrace. Soraya as a prostitute was depicted as a disgraced individual because she earns money by selling her body to male strangers. In fact, David's illustration of her as "surprisingly moralistic" reflected the fact that her being a prostitute was, for David, a fact that she must not be proud of, a reality that made her one of the disgraced people in her society. Of course, Coetzee puts Soraya's disgrace into context. Her case as a Muslim woman engaging in prostitution showed that her being a native of her country did not elevate her status nor improved her everyday life. She remained a prostitute who still felt the effects of poverty. Thus, for Soraya, disgrace is but a reality reserved only for people like David, white South Africans who used to have control and power in their country.