Metamorphosis And Sexuality
The empathic civilization is a complete turn-around to the definition of animal treatment in modern human communities. Yes, animals think and feel too, deserve respect, liberty, emotional attachment, and remorse whenever necessary. In this modern era the behavior of humans to animals has taken a very different, yet somewhat similar to times when man and animal lived in unison. The notion that spiraled in Victoria England that people demonstrate a higher degree of civilization by showing empathy to animals is, indeed, captured by several authors of different literature.
In J.M Coetzee's Disgrace, empathy to animals, and lack thereof is portrayed on civilized and uncivilized characters respectively. The main idea as portrayed in the novel is that animal cruelty is perpetrated as a result of the primitivity among the native South Africans. Not only is animal cruelty the symbol of primitivity, but also the animal-like human cruelty spewing from colonial stereotypes. An analysis by Cooper (2005), summarizes civilization in Coetzee's novel as a dynamic transformation that is not only articulated through sexuality but also in the sociopolitical shifts in the post-apartheid era. The author's vision of change also extends to the issue of animal empathy which seems to be a bigger milestone between the racial divides considering the complex social relations and differing beliefs due to colonial stereotypes. There is no limit as to how the equation of metamorphosis in terms of change in sexuality and empathy towards animals appear in Coetzee's work of literature. However, Cooper (2005) argues that the rifts in the two traditions remain unresolved.
On the one part there are characters with sexuality issues but empathetic towards animals, on the other part there are the natives who exhibit both sexual uncivilization and lack of empathy towards animals. Animals are at the center of J.M Coetzee's novel. David Lurie's daughter, Lucy, is situated in a smallholding where she keeps dogs in a kernel (Coetzee, 1999). Characters such as Lurie, the protagonist, her daughter Lucy, and Bev Shaw who runs an Animal Welfare Clinic are all whites living in the post-apartheid South Africa. Scenes about care for animals are attributed to the whites, possibly, Coetzee's symbol of civilization at the time of the novel. It takes a heightened degree of civilization to know that animals need clinical attention not only to tend to their injuries but also to show love and care for them. Empathy in its definition is a show of understanding for the thoughts or emotional state of another person or an animal for this case. Coetzee's portrayal of the natives in South Africa at the time of the novel is that they had not acquired enough civilization such as to empathize with animals (Bradshaw and Neill, 2016).
Apparently, no native would show enough care for animals as David, Lucy, or Bev Shaw did. However, David Lurie's perception of animals is a metamorphosis, implying that his civilization towards animals is dynamic. Lurie's sexual transformation is majorly a transmutation from a sexual crisis to empathetic reciprocity and exchange with the animals (Herron, 2005). David's first view of the animal fraternity and native millennial South Africa is hugely contemptuous, despite his position as a problematic educated white. Even when David first meets Bev Shaw, he is repelled by Bev's appearance.
However, many twists and turns of events about animal treatment change his perception. Lurie metamorphoses from the repelled visitor who detests animal smell to an attached caretaker who feels an equal pain for the two sheep slaughtered at Petrus' party. Emotional attachment is the purest definition of empathy, and through empathy for the two animals, Lurie is disturbed by the slaughter ordeal. There is just as much as humans can learn from intersections of sexual metamorphosis and the change in the perception of the animal kingdom from Lurie's experience at Lucy's place and the animal welfare clinic. This character, like many other people in modern society, once believed that animals have no souls. Civilization truly defines people's emotional perceptions of animals or even empathy towards fellow human beings. Like Cooper (2005) insinuates, Lurie's experiences pushed the limits of his knowledge beyond the paradigms of western epistemology to a broader perspective where Lurie now shows regards to animals and humans alike. Cooper's analysis is not limited to sexual metamorphosis based on Lurie's transformation, but a broader presentation of how the change leads to Lurie's constructive sexual transmutation afterwards. Lurie's experience with three South African boys marks the sharp contrast between civilized animal empathizers and the uncivilized mean natives.
The boy taunts Lucy's dogs who are restrained in the kernel (Coetzee, 1999). Coetzee uses the natives to portray uncivilization as ignorance towards the emotions of animals, as the boy does not consider that taunting an animal has more or less similar emotional effects as it would on humans. Moreover, the strained relationship between animals and humans is seen as one of the natives ends up shooting the dogs, splashing the brains and guts all over (Coetzee, 1999). There cannot be a better definition of meanness than what the tall man does to the dogs. On the flip side, it is regrettable how the three boys treat innocent animals. Wang (2018) summarizes animal treatment in the novel as a detestable ecological philosophy based on the lack of civilization and ethics. On the bright side, Coetzee uses this scene to metamorphose Lurie's perception towards the animals, crossing him over from primitivity to civilization. The colonial stereotype is a major theme in the novel which defines perceptions between the whites and natives and the resulting treatment to each of the opposing groups. The racial divide and aggression towards the whites is a result of the colonial stereotype which is apartheid in South Africa's case. J.M Coetzee's description of events in the countryside portrays primitivity and human cruelty towards the whites as animal-like.
As Cooper (2005) puts it, the vocabularies of western civilization seemed brittle and clumsy in an era post hybrid colonialism. The equation between animals and colonial stereotypes appear repeatedly in the novel, majorly the behaviors of the uneducated uncivilized South Africans. Primitivity in Coetzee's narration is indeed treating humans like one would treat animals (Herron, 2005). Neither humans nor animals are to be preferred, both deserve equal levels of empathy. When empathy is lacking for humans and animals alike, metamorphosis is necessary for a change of perceptions. Empathy is not only essential in dealing with fellow humans but animals too. J.M Coetzee's novel can be summarized as advocacy for civilization, picturing the character traits of the native uneducated South Africans. In the period when South Africa is recovering from apartheid, colonial stereotypes put whites at a precarious position and vulnerable to vengeance from the natives. However, a lack of empathy towards animals is not limited to the natives as David detests being associated with the animals in the beginning. Sexuality and sexual metamorphosis become the epitome of change and civilization in the novel. Indeed, Coetzee insinuates that civilization is a metamorphosis since David molts in an empathetic character afterwards. Empathy towards animals, even in the contemporary, is truly a mark civilization.
