Understanding Women
Disgrace
David Lurie is a questionable man with some questionable thoughts about certain
things. “Because a woman’s beauty does not belong to her alone. It is part of the
bounty she brings into the world. She has a duty to share it.” (16, J.M. Coutzee,
1999) There are different parts in the book where he expresses these kinds of
disturbing ideas. While the misunderstanding between him and women will get less
throughout the book, in the end his perception on women is still off. He sees women
as people, who are on the world to please and care for men. Throughout the book,
David Lurie is incapable of understanding women their and thoughts. David Lurie’s
thoughts will be explained and discussed in the following essay.
David’s reaction to when Soraya broke of their paid for affair was the first sign that
there was something off about him. David sees Soraya every week but one day they
bump into each other while Soraya is with her children. After this meeting she does
not want to see him again and breaks of their paid affair. Instead of leaving her alone
and accepting her wishes he follows her and hires a private detective. David does not
seem to understand her reaction when he phones her. She reacts shocked and
scared and tells David he should leave her alone. David does not comprehend that
she feels harassed by his actions. He denies his love for this woman, but he feels
lonely when he does not have her company. As stated in the text he does not know
what to do with himself some days (11, J.M. Coutzee, 1999). As a result of this, so-
called, break up and his reaction to this, you get introduced to the thought that David
has no idea how he should handle himself around women.
After this affair with Soraya, David quickly searches for a new one. He stumbles upon
a student of his, Melanie, and asks her to join him for dinner. David pushes himself
into her life and ignores every hint of her discomfort with what he does. “All she does
is avert herself: avert her lips, avert her eyes.” (25, J.M. Coutzee, 1999) He sees this
as a sign of approval and not of rejection. When David notices that Melanie is taking
some distance from him, he feels bad. He does not realize this is because of what he
did to her. He believes it is because he pushed himself in to her life too fast. David is
too self-centered to read the signs Melanie is giving him.
Disgrace
David Lurie is a questionable man with some questionable thoughts about certain
things. “Because a woman’s beauty does not belong to her alone. It is part of the
bounty she brings into the world. She has a duty to share it.” (16, J.M. Coutzee,
1999) There are different parts in the book where he expresses these kinds of
disturbing ideas. While the misunderstanding between him and women will get less
throughout the book, in the end his perception on women is still off. He sees women
as people, who are on the world to please and care for men. Throughout the book,
David Lurie is incapable of understanding women their and thoughts. David Lurie’s
thoughts will be explained and discussed in the following essay.
David’s reaction to when Soraya broke of their paid for affair was the first sign that
there was something off about him. David sees Soraya every week but one day they
bump into each other while Soraya is with her children. After this meeting she does
not want to see him again and breaks of their paid affair. Instead of leaving her alone
and accepting her wishes he follows her and hires a private detective. David does not
seem to understand her reaction when he phones her. She reacts shocked and
scared and tells David he should leave her alone. David does not comprehend that
she feels harassed by his actions. He denies his love for this woman, but he feels
lonely when he does not have her company. As stated in the text he does not know
what to do with himself some days (11, J.M. Coutzee, 1999). As a result of this, so-
called, break up and his reaction to this, you get introduced to the thought that David
has no idea how he should handle himself around women.
After this affair with Soraya, David quickly searches for a new one. He stumbles upon
a student of his, Melanie, and asks her to join him for dinner. David pushes himself
into her life and ignores every hint of her discomfort with what he does. “All she does
is avert herself: avert her lips, avert her eyes.” (25, J.M. Coutzee, 1999) He sees this
as a sign of approval and not of rejection. When David notices that Melanie is taking
some distance from him, he feels bad. He does not realize this is because of what he
did to her. He believes it is because he pushed himself in to her life too fast. David is
too self-centered to read the signs Melanie is giving him.
