#14 Disgrace 106-150
One thing that struck me as odd is David’s sudden relationship with Bev. He even describes he as nosy, plain, and even ugly p.84. Davids sudden inclination to actually sleep with her seemed like a severe departure in character for someone like David Lourie. David seemed to have higher standards than Bev, going after the likes of younger and more attractive girls, like Melanie. He then signifys his dismay after sleeping with Bev. “This is what I have come to” p.150 It was surprising seeing David with Bev, it seemed to happen without much reason or cause.
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The end of the section seemed to be of huge significance to David. After helping to put the dogs down, David offers to bring them to the hospital to be incinerated. David cannot stand by and watch the workers and the way they treat the dogs. David in a way finally starts to care about something other then himself. The end of this section marks a significant character shift for David and his outlook on life.
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Adrian Cole said,
November 2, 2009 at 1:26 am
Good points. I believe that Lurie felt he was no longer good enough; good enough for Melanie, his ex-wife, Soraya.. After being physically altered, his looks aren’t the most impressive. His confidence or sense of pride seems to diminish too. Sleeping with Bev just confirms that. On pp. 150 it says’ And let him stop calling her poor Bev Shaw. If she is poor, he is bankrupt. But let us not forget that this is also adultery. In aparthied South Africa, there were strict law about adultery, especially with other races. So it is interesting to see the flipside with Lurie in post aparthied South Africa. As fr as the dead dogs at the furnance, I feel Lurie finds a spot in his heart to care for another; be it dog or man. It is interesting how his revelations are more assoiated with animals than human character, like Lucy.
Lindsey said,
November 2, 2009 at 9:31 pm
Yeah, I guess David just sees that he isn’t “Mr.hot stuff” anymore, and he has to settle for the old women that isn’t that attractive and isn’t the age he usually goes for. Which I still don’t understand why he does have sex with Bev, just kinda wierd. Yeah towards the end you can tell that David has changed over time, and it seems like the dogs helped him change and not the people around him, which is unusual.
caroline said,
November 3, 2009 at 2:50 pm
While i agree with you that David and Bev’s relationship is odd, it didnt surprise me. David is a pig of a man and a womanizer. He lets his desires control him. That’s how he ended up on the Lucy’s farm in the first place-he cant (or just wont) control himself. But as for David having a character shift, i dont agree. I think the only reason he cant stand to see the workers mistreating the dead dogs is because people are brought up to respect the dead. I dont think he eventually cares about the animals i just think it is a natural thing to protect the dead.
jennifer m said,
November 4, 2009 at 3:25 pm
yeah i thought it was weird that he slept with bev too because she’s definitely not david’s type. when he says “this is what i have come to” it’s almost like he’s giving up on his fantasies about him still being attractive enough to get with younger girls. i am glad though that he realizes he’s too old to be chasing after people half his age. i kind of think david did it out of sympathy for bev because he was so desensitized from the situation just like melanie was with him. whether or not he’s changed is unclear but i don’t really think he has.
Brittany said,
November 4, 2009 at 4:21 pm
I agree with you when it comes to the end of the section being a significant charater shift for David. I think he changes because he now has something ‘live for’, other than. you know, the usuals…mainly sex for him. The reason he had sex with younger woman,girls, in the first place was to have a reason to live. They made him feel alive. And now he has Lucy and the baby to take care of. He feels important again.
Sunny An said,
November 4, 2009 at 10:16 pm
At the end of the story.. we can see different Lurie.. Lurie is not chasing sex anymore.. he finds something else which will make his life more worth..
He find the identify of love and reasons why he has to live not only sex..
Finally.. Lurie finds himself in an animal clinic caring for dogs at the end of his story..
I feel Lurie finds a spot in his heart to care for another..
Josh Atnip said,
November 5, 2009 at 12:00 am
You are correct when you say that we as readers see a change in David toward the end of Coetzee’s novel. Once David decides to sleep with Bev, I feel that incident is the turning point for David’s character in that he has turned away from simple attraction to something beyond that…I would however mention that at the end of the novel David does end up with another hooker so who can be for sure that what he has shown is an outward change or an inward change….
Amanda said,
November 9, 2009 at 12:13 am
This relationship with Bev is a turning point for David its after he has been burned and he is ugly so he is starting to realize he wont be able to get the young girls like Melanie so he will have to settle for Bev Shaw. David’s relationship with Bev Shaw is so important because he does think of her as really ugly, but as he gets to know her he really starts to respect her. Now his respect my not be a lot but who else in the book does he really respect (only his 2nd wife Rosalind) so this is a huge step for him. I feel that although he still views Bev as ugly he does have some respect for her which may have even come from their sexual relationship. It’s very hard to decipher any of David’s emotions but this does show that he has someone substance to him buts its almost not even noticeable. David just bugs me because he’s not good but not completely bad either. A stagnate character who just goes along with life not really caring what happens because they will always figure out something to do with it even if its not a good thing.
Megan Foster said,
November 9, 2009 at 12:55 am
I agree with you all. It seems like David finally comes to terms with the fact that he is aging and no longer a ladies man. Even if he isn’t completely head over heels for Bev he is trying to act more of his age..which is an improvement.
I don’t think it’s uncommon for people to care passionately for things even with the low maturity level such as David’s. His love for animals makes his character seem less of a jerk, however, it doesn’t make him better at relationships with people.
Juan said,
November 9, 2009 at 12:48 pm
Well it can change what David’s views were but does that change the person he really is?
Brittany said,
November 9, 2009 at 4:50 pm
I mean he doesn’t go back to having sex. And he does decide to stay there with Lucy. I mean the whole reason he was having sex with younger girls was to feel meaningfull, in my opinion. And now he has something else to do to make him feel meaningfull. David doesn’t really cange per say. He just shifts his attention to something else. He’s like a 5 year old boy. While he’s doing one thing, he sees something more interesting so he goes to that. Lucy and her baby are David’s shiny objects.