Disgrace is a novel written by John M. Coetzee, a South African-born novelist, who greatly influenced both his worldview and his creative activities. The fame brought by that particular literary work, Disgrace, is however rather contradictory. On the one hand, it is what earned Coetzee a further Booker Prize and, on the other, the representation of the protagonist of the novel and his behavior have raised many controversies and criticisms relating to the themes of racism, sexism, and post-South Africa -apartheid. In Disgrace JM Coetzee depicts a white male professor who, abusing his power and status, takes advantage of women and believes he has the right to do so. The protagonist comes into conflict with his opinions only after the brutal rape of his daughter. Had she not witnessed the effects of rape on her daughter, she would have continued on a path of misogyny and self-destruction. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The protagonist of Disgrace is David Lurie, a 52-year-old white university professor living in post-apartheid South Africa, but he refuses to admit that the days of white rule are gone. He has been married twice, but divorced both times. One of the marriages gave him a daughter who lives alone farming and raising dogs. After being very successful in satisfying his sexual needs by purchasing prostitutes, Lurie suddenly becomes involved in a sex scandal involving the seduction of his young student. Accused of raping her, Lurie refuses to apologize and has to leave his university position. After that her only choice is to move in with her lesbian daughter. After a while he and his daughter are attacked by black males and his daughter is raped. Despite Lurie's protests, his daughter decides to ignore the abuse and accept it as payment to stay in the land where blacks now rule. From the beginning of the novel the emphasis is placed on Lurie's sexual life, which implies that the protagonist's sexuality will be central in describing both the external and internal conflicts of the main character. From Lurie's point of view, he should live comfortable with himself, while the world around should provide him with this comfort. He wants sex and gets it: he either pays for it, as in Soraya's case, or he takes it without permission, as with Melanie. He believes he has the right to it and calls himself a "servant of Eros", while others, for example his university colleagues, call it "abuse". " In explaining to his daughter why he couldn't agree with the accusations, he gives the example of their former neighbors' dog being beaten for following female dogs and says that men cannot be blamed for following their instincts which are natural: “No animal will accept the justice of being punished for following its instincts” (Coetzee 97). Lurie insists that death would be an easier thing under such circumstances. Lurie's certainty that he is right and has nothing to apologize for is supported by his understanding of himself as superior. For example, when he is with Soraya, he feels superior because he pays her; when he is with Melanie, he believes that his status as a professor affords him certain privileges; and when he is on the farm he thinks that his race is a privilege. However, forget that white people are no longer in control. As Pamela Cooper aptly points out, the protagonist must deal with the pain of both “accepting the past and surviving the present” (Cooper 23). His daughter seems to help him wake up and see that times have changed. With his behavior he shows him that they, the whites, must adapt to new conditions. He also states that the difficulties and.