A Philosophical Review of the Novel Disgrace

Introduction

Disgrace is an example of a great novel that undermines the change in the course of a man's life over night. A single mistake made by the person disgraces him for the rest of his life. He steps into a domain from where there is no returning back. The world is too judgmental, and people are too cruel to make forgiveness only something divine that has nothing to do with humanity. However, there is another philosophy that states that it is better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for what you are not. The paper examines the tale told in Disgrace through a philosophical lens as well tries to understand the behavioral psychology as it relates to relationships.

Discussion

It is that when people we love make choices, we do not always understand them. The novel presents the story of a man who makes a decision and then disagrees to regret it. The course of the events of his life change because of his inability to accept that the society establishes and dictates its standards for what it is moral and what is ethical. The society expects its members to conform. They do not appreciate honestly so much because what they really want to listen is false. David Lurie, the central character of the novel, seduces one of his students (McCrum, p. 3). When a complaint is lodged by the girl and his father against the immoral and downright shameless conduct of the teacher, Lurie decides he does not want to apologize for his action. This decision has many implications for the man which he understands later.

The man is dismissed from his job as a teacher and his reputation and honor is lost. He is labeled and is divorced by his relatives and close friends. He then decides that he will not be able to live between these people and goes to live with his daughter in a rural area.

The conduct of this man was unethical, but what about the treatment of the society? The society failed Laurie too. It deprived him of the basic human needs such as the satisfaction of a job, the luxury to lead a normal life. It must be noted that many a times, it is the society that does not let a person lead a normal life. It is this very reason that many criminals fail to recuperate the lost innocence (Mars-Jones, p. 07). They know that they shall better be criminals than ordinary people, because even if they left everything to lead a normal regular life, there are people in this society who will continue to treat them as criminals, will make suggestive comments, and pass meaningful glances.

We may all ask ourselves, why is it that a person who has committed one rape does not hesitate from committing the most heinous crime against another? Is it because raping a person is easy? Does it have thrill and adventure associated with it? ...