1. Introduction

1.1 About John Maxwell "J. M." Coetzee 

John Maxwell "J. M." Coetzee ( born in Cape Town, Cape Province, Union of South Africa, on 9 February 1940 ) is a South African novelist, essayist, linguist, translator and recipient of the 2003 Nobel Prize in Literature.  Before receiving the 2003 Nobel Prize in Literature, Coetzee was awarded the Jerusalem Prize, CNA Prize (thrice), The Irish Times International Fiction Prize and the Booker Prize(twice), among other accolades.

Coetzee has been the recipient of numerous awards throughout his career, although he has a reputation for avoiding award ceremonies. He was the first writer to be awarded the Booker Prize twice: first for Life amp; Times of Michael K in 1983, and again for Disgrace in 1999. On 2 October 2003, Horace Engdahl, head of the Swedish Academy, announced that Coetzee had been chosen as that year's recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature, making him the fifth African writer to be so honored and the second South African after Nadine Gordimer.

1.2 About His Works

In his fiction Disgrace, it reveals problems which happened in the age of the transition from the old to the new between all kinds of people in South Africa by detailed description. He shows deep worry and is quite helpless in face of the consequence of colonialism in South Africa for the colonists and settlers and their offspring.

1.3 Need for the Study

Practically speaking, many scholars have studied various kinds of themes on Coetzee’s fiction Disgrace, among which “Cronus” is the most common and controversial topic shared or analyzed by scholars. Certainly, “Cronus” is the central idea of this fiction. Salvation, apartheid, “Cronus” and humanitarianism has been well documented in many works. However the topic “which make people disgraceful? the weaknesses of human nature or people's existence dilemma” has not been mentioned by scholars. It is considerably worth talking about.

2. Literature Review

Cai Shengqin (2005) noted that literary giants Coetzee discussed human nature in the form of deconstruction which was thoroughly embodied in his novel the Booker Prize Disgrace. This article introduced Coetzee's artistic creative characteristics by analyzing the environment of post-apartheid society and distorted humanity and ethical dilemma of both Blacks and Whites after the Whites’ privilege fading away.

Qin Yinguo (2008) noted that Coetzee is a "post colonialism" representative writer. His literary works is mostly different from the traditional literature whether in content or in the narrative techniques. The novel Disgrace attaches importance to psychological description and consciousness flow. Coetzee uses symbolism and stream of consciousness writing approach to expose the evils of colonialism. The form and content are the perfect combination in this novel. It receives great attention in literary world.

Basing its analysis on the intensified racial problem in the post-apartheid South Africa, Cai Yun and Tuo Jianming’s (2006) exposes the existential plight faced by the people of modern times and reveals the author's sympathy for the human misery and his humanitarian concern for mankind.

In Zhang Chong and Guo Zhengfeng’s (2001) thesis “Cronus” is the central idea. It is generally accepted that the novel of Coetzee's Disgrace focuses on the description of the New South Africa facing all kinds of social contradictions and problems, colonial rule and the relationship between blacks and whites and the influence on white settlers and their descendants. In fact, the work is rich in meaning. It can be interpreted from a variety of angles. In this paper, Zhang and Guo discussed “Cronus” behavior between the main characters of the novel. It is beyond the traditional, the boundaries of social, racial, political and moral stipulations. It reflects that the author is lost when he confronts new historical period and new social relations.

Purpose of Writing

My thesis will focus on “Cronus” in his fiction Disgrace. Do the weaknesses of human nature or people's existence dilemma make people disgraceful? I will refer to some related literature which are totally connected with the topic of my thesis.

3. Detailed Description

3.1 The character ’s acts to his student 3.1.1 Relationship between student and teacher

The relationship between Lurie and Melanie was contrary to human ethics. For Lurie, a whole week was like a desert after ending relationship with Soraya. He could only go to the library to spend his every day. On a Friday, he chose a far way to go home. Inadvertently, he saw a girl named Melanie, a student in his class of romantic poets. He caught up and said hello to her. The girl was so attractive that he had a crush on her. Even if the female student was unwilling. He still had sex with his students. He refused the opportunity to confess his guilt at public when the affair was exposed.

Lurie is a lustful man. He is mildly smitten with Melanie. It is no great matter, barely a term passes when he does not fall for one or other of his charges. Cape Town: a city prodigal of beauty, of beauties.

Melanie does not want a liqueur, but does accept a shot of whisky in her coffee. As she sips, Lurie leans over and touches her cheek. ' You're very lovely, ' he says. ' I'm going to invite you to do something reckless. ' He touches her again. ' Stay, Spend the night with me.'

Lurie does not end his immoral behavior. On Sunday morning he drives to the empty campus and lets himself into the department office.From the filing cabinet he extracts Melanie Isaacs's enrolment card and copies down her personal details: home address, Cape Town address, telephone number.

Melanie is not in class. An unfortunate absence, since it is the day of the mid-term test.When he fills in the register afterwards, he ticks her off as present and enters a mark of seventy. At the foot of the page he pencils a note to himself: ' Provisional'. Seventy: a vacillator's mark, neither good nor bad. (J.M.Coetzee, 2000) 3.1.2 Relationship between female and Male