Analysis of Lucie Lurie from novel titled Disgrace by J .M. Coetzee (Essay Sample)

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Character Analysis - Lucie Lurie
Introduction
The analysis presented in this study aims at establishing a critical character analysis of Lucie Lurie from the novel titled Disgrace by J .M. Coetzee. The novel written by the Nobel Prize Winner is set in the post-apartheid period in South Africa. The story revolves the key character David Lurie who has divorced twice, aged 52 and is a professor teaching Communication and Romantic Poetry at the Cape Technical University. David believes that he has successfully created the both comfortable and also passionless life that he enjoys. For this end, David not only lives within his emotional means, but he also within his financial means. David's position at the institution where he works has been reduced, but he regularly teaches his classes dutifully as required. Also, David keeps on with weekly visits to the prostitutes despite his age and diminished attractiveness. The key supporting characters for the novel includes Petrus and Lucie Lurie. David throughout the story is depicted as a lover of women, anti-hero and also arrogant. Petrus, on the other hand, is depicted as hardworking, loyal to the family and also a good neighbor. Finally, Lucie Lurie is seen as imprudent and stubborn. The main theme of the novel deals with the inferiority and superiority of blacks and whites, which is a constructed ideology CITATION Coe99 \l 1033 (Coetzee). For that matter, this study aims at analyzing the character, Lucie Lurie and her role in the novel.
Lucie Lurie
The first encounter with Lucy shows that she's related with David, but both have different behavior. Lucy does not pay attention to fashion and also body image while David is suave, sleek and sophisticated. The key components of Lucy's character that are worth paying attention are related to her sexual relationship. As the story in the novel progresses, it comes out clear that Lucy, in fact, is a lesbian who used to live with a fellow woman by the name Helen. The sexual identity of Lucy shows out two things. First, it shows the readers concerning the sexual views which Lucy contains. Secondly, the view provides the platform over which the main character David thinks about sexuality and women in general (Neville 200). When the three intruders attacked Lucy and David, the unthinkable thing happened to Lucy. At that point, Lucy got raped, and this led to a perceptible shift in her character. Although Lucy faced great trauma and possible harmful effects, Lucy was reluctant in seeking police help in the case. This event baffled David as the turn of events changes her behavior. Lucy started sleeping at daytime and staying all time awake at night. Also, she becomes totally and increasingly snippy and irritable with David (Coetzee).
Before the rape ordeal happened, Lucy was becoming open to David and even willing to share more personal topics together. However, after the rape occurred, she becomes secretive and closes up. In fact, she started comparing David with the men who raped her. Even though David tried to encourage her to relocate to a more civilized place and move out of the country due to its dangerous threat, the rape ordeal seems to have tied her more to the land and the community. Lucy’s relationship with Petrus changes after the rape ordeal. Their relationship moves from just neighbors to more like a family. At some point, Lucy helped Petrus acquire higher social status in the community by offering help in the purchase of land. Based on this short synopsis regarding Lucy’s life and experience in the novel, the following aspects can be attributed to her:
The key attribute is that Lucy is viewed as a stubborn person CITATION Dha08 \p 2 \l 1033 (Dhaliwal 2). Lucy was raped by the three men who robbed their car and also set fire to Lucy's father and went with other valuables. However, Lucy remained adamant to keep the rape situation as secrete and refuses to report the whole situation to the police. The father is baffled as to why Lucy has refused to report the matter to the police or even press charges to those who did the heinous act. However, Lucy tried to explain to her father as to why she refused to report or press charges on page 112 of the novel. She says:
‘The reason is that, as far as I am concerned, what happened to me is purely private matter. In another time, in another place it might be held to be public matter. But in this place, at this time, it is not. It is my business, mine alone.’ (Coetzee 112).
In fact in the subsequent time of the story, Lucy remained adamant and insisted that it is not anyone's business to report the issue to the police, but her own. She says the following:
‘This is my life. I am the one who has to live here. What happened to me is my business, mine alone, not yours, and if there is one right I have it is right not to be put on trial.’ (Coetzee 133).
Secondly, all along the novel, Lucy is viewed as an imprudent person. After the rape tribulation at the farm, the experience left her more scared and worrisome. She thought that the strangers had marked her and probably they will return to do the same act. However, Lucy was not ready to leave the territory to and move to a more secure place where she had been living before. Lucy is also not prudent when facing her challenges. She makes many decisions without careful considerations of the factors involved in it. The imprudence act is seen when she refuses to move out of the dangerous territory after the rape ordeal. Also, she refused the father's offer of moving to Holland for either six or twelve months and wait for things to improve in the country. Normally, it would be much safer for Lucy to move to a different place for sometimes and relocate herself after the nightmare. Lucy believes that the horrible act which happened to her and her father might be the price she has to pay for actually staying on. She says the following:
“She broods a long while before she answers. ‘But isn&r...