My Reaction to Disgrace

What is your reaction to the novel? What did you like about it and what did you dislike about it? Does it deserve the international acclaim it has received? Would you recommend it to others?

When I first started reading Disgrace, I enjoyed it. Its uncomplicated plot and ability to be read quickly made the novel light and kind of enjoyable. However as the story progressed and reached the turning point in David Lurie's life, it became really slow and boring. When the setting was at Lucy's farm, everything was so routine and the plot was very slow, I felt as if I was living at the farm too. After finishing it though, I didn't like it at all. I felt that the ending was too abrupt and that there was no real solution. Also, even though the characters were very realistic, I didn't like their personalities, which is another reason why I didn't like the novel. If I don't like the main characters, I can't really empathize and feel with them, making the novel dry and boring. On the other hand, one thing I did like was the writing style of JM Coetzee. I wouldn't recommend the book to anyone, I didn't find it worth reading, however I'm sure there is someething about it that I missed, it did get the Booker Prize.

Is William Shakespeare overrated?

One of the criteria for being an educated person is knowing William Shakespeare, and having read at least one of his works. He is the most famous writer to have lived, with famous plays poetry, and is considered to be one of the greatest writers to have lived. However, in my opinion, I think he is overrated. His works are entertaining and contain good diction and puns, but I don't think he deserves all the praise he gets. He was extremely successful because he wrote plays and poems which revolved around everyday issues and problems. Hence his audience was able to identify with plays such as "Romeo and Juliet" about forbidden love, and "Julius Ceasar" and "Macbeth" about power and ambition. In addition, Shakespear's sonnets all have similar themes and are grouped together. He was good, but not THAT good, and I don't think he deserves all the praise he gets.

DON'T MAKE FUN OF ME OKAY? I was FORCED to write a sonnet

Indecisive

Our existing condition is a result of before,
Decisions we have made lead to now,
Choosing paths we thought best and were for,
The present is a result of what we allow.

How, where, when, and who,
The response of which is your pick,
Not to mention what and why too.
The extent of what you can select is mystic.

But I must confess,
That I would rather not make any decisions at all.
For this power and control we possess,
Will only lead us to fall.

Any choice I make may be harmful,
Thus to make up my mind I am too fearful.

Sonnets

How do you feel about sonnets as a poetic form? Do you like their structure or do you find them too limiting? Use one of the sonnets we have discussed in class or one that you have read on your own as an example of what you mean.

Sonnets have very specific requirements, making them a bit limiting. Typical sonnets are written in iambic pentameter, and are made up of fourteen lines, specifically three quatrains, a couplet, and the ninth line serving as the turning point or Volta. In addition, sonnets usually have rhyme schemes of abab cdcd efef gg, giving them a certain rhythm to read aloud. Shakespearian sonnets are categorized in different groups since they fall under specific themes, making them a bit repetitive. For example, in English class, we discussed sonnets 1 and 2, both addressing the same them of procreation versus masturbation. They were very similar and had the same ideas. The structures of sonnets are very restrictive, since it is necessary for them to follow the rhyme scheme, have a certain theme, and include a Volta. Hence most of the poem is already done, the way the poet puts everything together is where his/her creativity is shown.

Disgrace Chapters 1-4

1. The first line of the novel begins with "For a man of his age, fifty-two, divorced, he has, to his mind, solved the problem of sex rather well." What is the "problem" that he has solved? Has he really solved it?

The novel Disgrace begins with the sentence "For a man of his age, fifty-two, divorced, he has, to his mind, solved the problem of sex rather well." Throughout the novel, we learn about the protagonist David Lurie, and discover what his problem is. He isn't as proficient in attracting women as he used to be, has been married and divorced twice, and his success, pleasure, and purpose in life all revolve around the 90 minutes a day he spends with a prostitute. He tries to fill his emotionless life with various affairs with different women such as prostitutes, people he works with, and even his students. But he isn't able to love them, and can only feel affection for them. In addition, he has no passion for anything, not women, friends, or his job. However, I don't think that he solved his problem, since he is emotionally unattached and is satisfied by affection alone.