Disgrace

Content Warning: The novel and this guide discuss sexism, sexual assault, stalking, sexual grooming, violence, and racism.

The motif of property runs through the novel and comes to represent many of its main ideas. Lucy lives alone on a farm in exurban Cape Town, and this represents her independent spirit. She first came to the farm when it was a commune, and she continued to live there after the other commune members drifted away. Lucy’s home is a symbol of the changing times. The old ways of life are gone, and, in this changed world, she must use her own resourcefulness to forge her existence. She is hardworking and independent; she cultivates flowers, grows crops, and kennels dogs, making a living off the land in a sustainable manner. David is impressed by Lucy’s farm, and he covets Lucy’s relationship with the land and her independence. They contradict his misogynistic view of himself as a tough, heroic figure since he knows he cannot achieve what she has. Lucy’s farm is a symbol of the very spirit that he craves.

Importantly, Lucy’s farm is now bordered by a new property, and the changes to the land represent the changing power and racial dynamics of post-apartheid South Africa.