Previous
Pollux
Melanie’s father. Not long after he has sex with Melanie for the final time, David receives a call from Mr. Isaacs, who asks him to talk to Melanie because she has apparently decided to drop out of school. Since Melanie has always spoken highly of David, Mr. Isaacs wants him to be the one to approach her about this decision. Two days later, Mr. Isaacs appears at the university and confronts David, having just found out about his relationship with Melanie. Angry and flustered, he shames David in front of a handful of students. It isn’t long after this encounter that David learns that Melanie has filed a sexual harassment complaint against him. Later, David visits Mr. Isaacs at his job as a school principal, and though Isaacs is thrown off by his presence, he invites him over for dinner with his wife and younger daughter, both of whom are very conflicted about meeting him, though Isaacs himself is rather welcoming.
Mr. Isaacs Quotes in Disgrace
The Disgrace quotes below are all either spoken by Mr. Isaacs or refer to Mr. Isaacs. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 19
Quotes
One word more, then I am finished. It could have turned out differently, I believe, between the two of us, despite our ages. But there was something I failed to supply, something’—he hunts for the word—‘lyrical. I lack the lyrical. I manage love too well. Even when I burn I don’t sing, if you understand me. For which I am sorry. I am sorry for what I took your daughter through. You have a wonderful family. I apologize for the grief I have caused you and Mrs Isaacs. I ask for your pardon.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
‘So,’ says Isaacs, ‘at last you have apologized. I wondered when it was coming.’ He ponders. He has not taken his seat; now he begins to pace up and down. ‘You are sorry. You lacked the lyrical, you say. If you had had the lyrical, we would not be where we are today. But I say to myself, we are all sorry when we are found out. Then we are very sorry. The question is not, are we sorry? The question is, what lesson have we learned? The question is, what are we going to do now that we are sorry?’
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire Disgrace LitChart as a printable PDF.
Mr. Isaacs Quotes in Disgrace
The Disgrace quotes below are all either spoken by Mr. Isaacs or refer to Mr. Isaacs. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 19
Quotes
One word more, then I am finished. It could have turned out differently, I believe, between the two of us, despite our ages. But there was something I failed to supply, something’—he hunts for the word—‘lyrical. I lack the lyrical. I manage love too well. Even when I burn I don’t sing, if you understand me. For which I am sorry. I am sorry for what I took your daughter through. You have a wonderful family. I apologize for the grief I have caused you and Mrs Isaacs. I ask for your pardon.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
‘So,’ says Isaacs, ‘at last you have apologized. I wondered when it was coming.’ He ponders. He has not taken his seat; now he begins to pace up and down. ‘You are sorry. You lacked the lyrical, you say. If you had had the lyrical, we would not be where we are today. But I say to myself, we are all sorry when we are found out. Then we are very sorry. The question is not, are we sorry? The question is, what lesson have we learned? The question is, what are we going to do now that we are sorry?’
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
