Affects of Shame and Guilt in Disgrace

Abstract

This paper studies Disgrace, the world-famous novel by J.M. Coetzee. It argues that by portraying characters, some of whom commit mistakes and some forgive, the novelist seems to picturing a South Africa on the verge of change and transformation. Lurie the main character also goes through transformation from antagonism towards him to affect of sympathy at the end. The affect of shame comes as positive affect which Coetzee bestows on Lurie to evoke realization of shame in all whites for exploiting black people. Reading this novel, the white South Africans naturally feel ashamed of themselves. Thus, it is through Lurie, Coetzee is advocating individual logic to bring transformation in all whites.