Patriarchal Influence and Identity Control: A Socio-Psychological and Feminist Analysis of J. M. Coetzee’s Disgrace
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.68024/p0x92t68الكلمات المفتاحية:
Disgrace, dysfunctional relationships, identity theory, sexual violence, social imageالملخص
This paper identifies identity control and patriarchal influence in J. M. Coetzee’s Disgrace (1999). The narrative reveals the dysfunctional father-daughter relationship in which the misogynistic David’s life and personality traits end up defining his daughter Lucy’s identity.. This dysfunctional relationship inevitably controls Lucy’s life. The conceptual framework of the study is based primarily on Peter Burke’s Identity Control Theory; however, Susan Brownmiller’s idea of the mass psychology of rape helps pave the path for Lucy’s identity to be analyzed through both socio-psychological and feminist lenses of identity. By employing textual analysis as the methodological tool, since the researcher aims to conduct a close reading of the text, this study examines how Lucy’s whole identity and her decisions in life are both consciously and unconsciously shaped by her dysfunctional relationship with her father, David. His sexual rendezvous with younger women of color, his unapologetic entitlement, and his inflexibility in the face of personal change—all these factors contribute to the development of Lucy’s identity as a person.
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المراجع
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الحقوق الفكرية (c) 2026 Sidra Shahid, Fauzia Amin (Corresponding Author) (Author)
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