Reflection on Disgrace

The novel Disgrace is a story seen through the eyes of David Lurie. David's point of view dominates the story. This technique gives the reader an access to not only David's words but also his unspoken thoughts. The reader becomes closely familiar with Lurie's desires and passions.

I enjoyed reading the novel, however I didnt understand most of the allusions but after I researched them it made more sense and I was able to relate them to the characters in the novel. I wasnt able to understand the Latin and Italian phrases, but I know they represent David's background.

Coetzee was truly able to grasp my attention at the beginning of the novel, but later when David goes to the farm it gets a bit boring. However the contrast between the urban life and the rural life is interesting. The ending wasnt very powerful. (I'm not sure this is the proper word to use, but I just didnt like the ending I was expecting a twist in the end).I was hoping to know what happened to Soraya, however she is never mentioned again. All in all, Disgrace was worth reading , its not a hard nor obscure novel, it explores the downfall of David Lurie. I strongly recommend others to read this novel.

Is Shakespeare Overrated?

No doubt that Shakespeare is a literary legend however does that mean that his work is perfect?!? And that when one learns to read and understand his work that person attains a high level of wisdom?!? Is he worth being held up as the greatest playwright ever? I personally don’t think so! I have read three of his plays Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, and Julius Caesar along with some sonnets. The idea or message behind his work is not extraordinary however his writing style is what makes him stand out from the rest of the writers. His writing style seems ambiguous at first and difficult to comprehend however when one looks behind the figurative language a clear image is established and one eventually realizes that his ideas are very typical. His plays are held up as masterpieces of moral depth and knowledge, however I believe that there are many other plays that hold more meaning and morals that deserve to be overvalued.

With YOU

With YOU

Oh what have you done to my thoughts?

Every second I think about you
Without you I'd be distraught
People like you are special and few

Your divine smile makes my heart melt

Your green colored eyes make me go blank

True love is what I felt

Number one is your rank

I want to dance with you all night

Never let go

I love you that's right

It's hard I know

With you I want to be

Forever you and me

Reflection on Sonnets

I have never studied sonnets before, so at first it was a bit challenging for me, and Shakespearean sonnets are hard to understand because they are so deep in meaning. However, rereading the sonnet and analysing it according to the sheet that Mr.Webster gave us "How to Analyze Poetry" made it easier for me to interpret the meaning of the poem. Every word in the sonnet was placed there for a purpose and adds to the over all meaning. Shakespearean sonnet have three quatrains and a couplet, and rhymes abab cdcd efef gg. Sonnet 2 was the most challenging for me, because many of the words had double meanings which I wasnt aware of example : "Where all the treasure of thy lusty days.." The word treasure refers to sperm and thy lusty days referes to the days of the sexual activity.
example #2: "Shall sum my count and make my old excuses"at first I didnt know that hes counting the number of women he slept with. :S
In conclusion, shakespearean sonnets are reflect mainly two major themes : Love and Time.
They are challenging and obscure yet the poets myriad approaches allow the reader to feel the
sheer power of true love.

Reflection on "One Hundred Years of Solitude"

3. What is your reaction to the novel so far? Can you identify any themes that the novel is exploring?
4. What do you think about JM Coetzee's writing style. What about his style is unique? Does that affect the reading of the novel?

So far I liked the novel, unlike One Hundred Years of Solitude the language is simple , the chapters are short, and its not obscure. Although we were required to read till chapter four, I reached till chaper 8, I just couldnt put the book down!!! Disgrace is written in third person. David Lurie's thoughts and emotions dominate the text. This affects the reading of the novel and allows the reader to analyse Davids character and view his way of thinking.
I think its still early to explore the theme of the novel, but so far sex and ownership(p.2 " ..in a sense they own Soraya too..") can be considered two significant concepts. We are introduced to a character that solved the problem of sex, is fifty years old and visits a prostitute named Soraya weekly and he later starts an affair with one of his students Melanie.