Disgrace is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as a “loss of reputation or respect as the result of a dishonorable action”. The word Disgrace has two slightly different meanings: it can be used both as a noun and as a verb. A person may be in disgrace (noun) or he may dishonor himself or others (verb). In any case it implies that a dishonorable event has occurred that casts a shadow on a person or group of people. A dictionary definition can't really convey what the meaning of "disgrace" is. Like many words in the English language, “disgrace” has a highly elusive nature. This is caused in part by the negative connotations associated with it and, consequently, the subtle nuances it evokes when used. In the context of the first 50 pages the title could refer to the act and consequences of the affair that takes place between David Lurie and Melanie Isaacs. In fact, Lurie's ex-wife says the event “is shameful from start to finish. Shameful and vulgar even." (45). Let me refer to the definition of disgrace as “loss of reputation or respect as a result of a dishonorable action”. Let us see every aspect of the definition in this event. Indeed, it led to Lurie a loss of respect and reputation. Melanie loses respect for him (37), students stop attending his classes and colleagues act coldly towards him (42). title could also refer to the state in which Lurie lives: the state in which he ages and continues to pursue younger women Coetzee suggests in the first chapter that "...aging is no graceful affair" (9). disappointing sex with a co-worker, Lurie notes that castrating oneself would be “an ugly sight, but no uglier, from a certain… middle of the paper… rape culture. Another jarring quote from Lurie occurs when he is trying to seduce Melanie for the first time. He states that "'...a woman's beauty does not belong to her alone...She has a duty to share it.'" (16) This idea that a woman has a "duty to share" her beauty with men is another concept reminiscent of rape culture. It's no great mystery why my colleagues and I couldn't immediately identify why Melanie remained silent for so long. We students, living in Canada, are not exposed to rape culture as much as those living in countries like South Africa and India, where this ideology permeates every institution.11 Interestingly, many countries where rape is endemic were at the same time colonized point. I wonder if there is a correlation between being a colonized country and a country that takes a casual attitude towards sexual violence.