A Thematic Study On J.M.Coetzee’s Novel Disgrace From The Perspective Of Post-colonial Theory

Disgrace is one of John Maxwell Coetzee’s novels which is published in 1999.The novel is set in post-apartheid South Africa,which gives an account of the complex relations and conflicts between the white and the black in the new era of South Africa.This thesis adopts the methods of textuality and close reading to conduct a thematic study on Disgrace from the perspective of post-colonial theory represented by Frantz Fanon and Homi K.Bhabha’s.It analyzes three themes: the clash between the white and the black,the exchange of power between the white and the black,and the loss and pursuit of cultural identity.And then,this thesis discovers the significance of thematic analysis.The clash between the white and the black is mainly embodied in lifestyle,language and values of the characters in the novel.This thesis analyzes the exchange of power between the white and the black,and the trauma that apartheid has caused for them based on Frantz Fanon’s racial trauma theory.Homi K.Bhabha’s interpretation on cultural identity is adopted to interpret the loss and pursuit of protagonist’s cultural identity.This thesis concludes that mutual understanding and respect is a must for the coexistence of the white and the black in the new post-apartheid South Africa.Both the white and the black should hold a rational attitude to colonialism and apartheid.Real reconciliation between different races can be achieved only when the white and the black recognize their identities and mutually understand each other.The post-colonial study on Disgrace provides new ideas for the harmonious coexistence and common prosperity of different races,cultures and nationalities,and evokes people’s reflections on building an equal and harmonious society.