The Glorification Of Literary Works That Reflect The Perpetuation Of Gender Inequality And Sexual Violence Against Women
"She does not resist. All she does is avert herself: avert her lips, avert her eyes... Not rape, not quite that, but undesired nevertheless, undesired to the core (Coetzee, 25)." And so begins the sexual relationship between a young university student, and her middle aged professor. “Disgrace” is a story that reflects society’s current thirst and desire for sex and violence. What renders this novel harder to digest is the passive attitude that the female victims adopt as an acceptable model for other women to imitate. The story captured by pen and paper, conceived in the mind of J.M. Coetzee is not a tale about racial inequalities and injustices, for which one would think it won the Booker Prize, but an ego-booster for males that interprets violence against women as a victory of male savagery perpetuated on women.
Expression of all forms is not only encouraged in almost all liberal democracies, but protected and guaranteed by international law. Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states, “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” (United Nations, Art 19) Sex and violence is a language that one begins to marinate in since birth. This language is used to seek, impart and receive information or ideas using various mediums.
Modern society has become so desensitized to violence that is has become an acceptable form of entertainment and communication. The ubiquitous ad for Calvin Klein’s Obsession cologne grabs attention; she is naked, slung over the man's shoulder. He is naked, too, but muscular and dominant, carrying her toward the woods. (“Calvin Klein – Fragrance”) This sly, elusive blend of sex and violence is a popular marketing tool. It ‘sexualizes’ violence. It makes violence desirable, and acceptable as part of the package...
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