Question 1 – Disgrace (compulsory) (Marks: 90)
“A father without the sense to have a son: is this how it is all going to end, is this how his line is
going to run out, like water dribbling into the earth? Who would have thought it! A day like any
other day, clear skies, a mild sun, yet suddenly everything is changed, utterly changed!
Standing against the wall outside the kitchen, hiding his face in his hands, he heaves and
heaves and finally cries.”
(Coetzee, 2000: 199)
Using the above extract from Chapter 22 of Disgrace as a starting point, write an essay
(approximately 1400 – 2000 words) in which you critically discuss the personal transformation
that David Lurie undergoes as he shifts from an urban to a rural environment in the novel.
In your answer, be sure to provide a structured argument that addresses the following questions:
What does David lose and what does David gain as part of his personal transformation?
Why?
In what ways does David’s personal journey in the novel reflect life in contemporary South
Africa? Why?
Do you think David’s personal journey in the novel helps to redeem his character? Why?
To support your argument, refer to relevant scenes, imagery, language, characters, setting, and themes from the novel, as well as relevant arguments and theory from your prescribed Learning
Unit 4 material, and your own additional research.
