‘What kind of compromise ?’. ‘Re-education. Reformation of the character. The code-word was counselling’. ‘ And are you so perfect that
you can’t do with a little counselling? Coetzee, 1999: 66.
Moreover, her prediction about the real fact in this case is true. It is not because there is no opportunity to fix the situation but it is all about her father’s arrogance.
8. Old
The character of David is described as an old person. It can be seen from the sentence, ‘for a man of his age, fifty-two, divorced, he has, to his mind, solved
the problem of sex rather well’ Coetzee, 1999: 1. In the beginning of the story, David is 52 years old. He deals with all the adult’s stuffs and he enjoys his life. He
believes that his nature is fixed since he is an adult person. ‘ That is his temperament. His temperament is not going to change, he is too old for
that….’Coetzee, 1999: 2. The fact that David Lurie is an old person can be seen through the direct
comment in the novel. “Technically, he is old enough to be her father; but then, technically, one can be a father at twelve” Coetzee, 1999: 1. It seems that the
author wants to show David is created as an old person. His daughter’s case, then, makes David realise that he is an old person. If
there is no incident in Eastern Cape, he will not feel that. ‘For the first time he has a taste of what it will be like to be an old man, tired to the bone, without hopes,
without desires, indifferent to the future’ Coetzee, 1999: 107.
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9. Male
The first sentence in the story says that the character of David Lurie is a man of a certain age Coetzee, 1999: 1. He is described as flatterer and he is
usually involved with woman. He uses his ability to produce beautiful sentences to get woman’s attention. ‘Because a woman’s beauty does not belong to her
alone. It is a part of the bounty she brings into the world. She has a duty to share it’ Coetzee, 1999: 16. However, David’s statement indicates that woman is
created to satisfy the sexual desire of a man. David does not give his best appreciation towards woman. His sexual needs bind him and he cannot avoid it.
Because of it, David is labelled as a ‘bad’ guy. David believes that man is the best creature. It influences him to think that
woman is in the lower rank. He always associates woman with unimportant things. It is clear in the quotation as follows.
What nosiness Curious how the whiff of scandal excites woman. Does this plain little creature think him incapable of shocking her? Or is being
shocked another of the duties she takes on-like a nun who lies down to be violated so that the quota of violation in the world to be reduced?
Coetzee, 1999: 147-148.
This statement shows his superior feeling. He, then, becomes too proud to be a man when he finds that woman really likes gossip.
10. Stubborn
In the story, the character of David Lurie is known as stubborn person. He does not really want to accept the others’ opinions although he realizes that it is
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