Significance of the Dog in J.M. Coetzee's disgrace Essay

Significance of the Dog in J.M. Coetzee's disgrace - Essay Example This is Coetzee’s first book that deals explicitly with South Africa’s post apartheid scenario, that paints a cheerless picture and comforts no one, no matter to which race or nationality they belong. Coetzee’s primary theme in ‘Disgrace’ revolves around a man who is broken down and reduced to almost nothing, but finally searches and finds a small speck of redemption by way of his acceptance of the realities of life and death. The protagonist in the story is Professor David Lurie and Coetzee’s notion of life with its harsh realities and brutal tyranny being replaced by brutal anarchy are reflected through his protagonist David in South Africa, a place filled with social and political conflicts. Coetzee’s scintillating novel makes use of a metaphorical device such as the use of different animals and in particular dogs to bring out the developments of his characters. Dogs play a stylistic role in this novel as it is portrayed as being a m eans of protection for the Whites. During his childhood, Coetzee’s mother created a great impact on him where dogs were concerned. It is her influence which was a major contributing factor for Coetzee to use dogs as the defining factor in his novel ‘Disgrace’. His mother often reflected on her past life which included the â€Å"walks with the dogs†. ... David is a divorced, middle-aged scholar of Romantic poetry, who during the Mandela Era, became a victim of "the great rationalization". His university was replaced by a Technical University at Cape Town where he teaches lessons in â€Å"Communicative skills† that he finds rather useless and nonsensical. The dignity he has there, is short lived as he is caught having a relationship with one of his poetry students and is dismissed from the university. Coetzee describes him as â€Å"a mad old man sitting among the dogs singing to himself†; a man who invests his last savings into a pickup truck to pursue his work as a dog-undertaker. David further sinks in disgrace when he patronizes a prostitute and buys her gifts, but in the course of this relationship he becomes such a nonentity that she refuses to see him. He imagines her and her friends shuddering when they see him just as  "as one shudders at a cockroach in a washbasin in the middle of the night". David contemplate s asking his doctor to castrate him in the way one neuters a domestic animal. In Coetzee’s story this is the first reference made between human and animal existence. One of Coetzee’s striking techniques is to explore what it is to be human, which is deftly brought out through his characters by placing them in extreme and compelling situations. The protagonist David has to experience and endure physical torment and psychological abasement. He falls deep into disgrace and flees Cape Town to his daughter Lucy’s remote farm. Lucy hears his story and very matter- of- factly tells him, "This is the only life there is. Which we share with animals." This is another one of the comparisons made in this story between humans and

Research Paper on Censorship Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

On Censorship - Research Paper Example Censorship has been used throughout the history not only in communist countries but in democratic countries as well. From the beginning of civilization, censorship has been used by groups as well as individuals to prevent and control dangerous creations, information and ideas which are pernicious for the society. Throughout history it has taken different courses and occurred for various reasons. The main causes of censorship are religion, politics and sex related issues. Censorship are usually done in several areas such print media (newspaper), radio and television for religious purposes and offensive texts and objectionable speeches or behavior. Censorship should be done to benefit the society as a whole, as it is essential to protect the society from internal threat, to maintain peace and order. Censorship is needed and can be justified as censorship is pivotal to maintain social stability, racial harmony and to protect the mass from dangerous influences which can hamper the social growth.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Many people who are against censorship argues that censorship should not be done as the banning of ideas, thoughts and information in any stream  is unconstitutional, for the first amendment guarantees freedom of speech and the press. The Amendment 1 dictates that: â€Å"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press or the right of the people to peaceably assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievance† (Bill of Rights: Amendment I 1). The constitution did provide us with the freedom of speech and press, but it is not right to take this freedom and say anything we want anywhere, at anytime. Freedom should be used but in no way should it be misused. For example if a person hates another race and writes a book about abolishing that race, that person is clearly misusing his / her rights and at the same time dis rupting the harmony of the society. History has shown us time and again that man is an animal if not regulated by rules and regulations. If censorship is not done, the society, as we know, will be chaotic. Freedom should not be taken for granted and should not be misused. Censorship keeps freedom in control to maintain the social order.   It should be kept in mind that too much information can be and often is a dangerous thing. Having said that, it is true, there are some facts that are not suitable for the entire public. Censorship makes sure that dangerous ideas, ideologies, philosophies and outlook does not disrupt the citizens of the state.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In today’s world, media plays a crucial role in influencing both good and bad behavior and ideas. One cannot argue the fact that it depends on the individual choices and what he / she feels like watching. But, the reality is that when one watches a television show, it stagnates into the memory. This often res ults in young people ending up absorbing information far more than they needed for their age group and this has a negative impact on them. Youth’s mind should not be tampered with negative thought or ideas as they are easily influenced by what they see and hear around them. If there is no censorship to check what the youth are watching, this can have a dangerous impact. There is no harm in filtering what