AllusionCoetzee often alludes to literature, historical events and figures, classical mythology, and pop culture in his writings. These allusions often contain a great deal of subtextual information. What follows is an analysis of two of the most significant allusions. The youngest member of the trio of thieves who steal from the Luries and rape Lucy is named Pollux. This is probably an allusion to the Greek myth of Castor and Pollux. Castor and Pollux are half-brothers. Their myth partly involves the abduction and rape of Leucippides, Phoebe and Hilaeira, who become pregnant as a result of the rapes. This aspect of the myth is very similar to the plot of Disgrace as Lucia (note the phonetic similarity between Lucia and Leucippides) becomes pregnant when Pollux and his quasi-brothers rape her. Furthermore, the myth of Castor and Pollux culminates with Idas, the fiancé of one of the Leucippides, trying to kill Pollux. Pollux is saved when Zeus (his father) intervenes and kills Ida. This is also similar to the plot of Disgrace, when Lurie tries to have Pollux arrested, but Petrus (Pollux's father figure) protects him by hiding his personal information. (139)Another significant allusion that Coetzee makes is to Lord Byron and his lover Teresa, Countess Guiccioli. This allusion occurs several times at the beginning and middle of the novel, but actually appears more towards the end. Indeed, towards the end of this novel, the allusion to Byron becomes an aspect of the plot. This allusion is significant because Byron comes to symbolize Lurie. We see this in three ways. First, they share similar characteristics. They are both scholars of the English language. They are both immersed in a romantic act... in the middle of a sheet of paper, the initial conflict has been actively ignored by the protagonist. Once Lurie leaves town to visit Lucy, he avoids, to the best of his ability, conversations about Melanie. He even avoids thinking about her too directly: Whenever it crosses his mind, Melanie is called "the girl." (65.89) In the middle section of this book, a new major conflict is introduced with Lucy's rape and the aftermath of this event. This new main conflict is, in a sense, a response to the initial main conflict. Both conflicts center on rape and the resulting actions of victims and perpetrators. The new main conflict helps establish the socio-political environment of rural South Africa which contributes to the novel's setting. It also triggers significant character development in Lucy and David, which will be further explored below.