The Opera Symbol Analysis

Throughout Disgrace, David thinks from time to time about writing an opera about the Romantic poet Lord Byron and his lover Teresa, clearly identifying with the poet himself in a rather vain, egotistical manner. Because he has high hopes for this project despite not having really started it, the opera itself gradually becomes a symbol of David’s ability to delude himself, as he manages to convince himself for the majority of the novel that this work of art will be magnificent when, in reality, it’s clearly destined to fail. After the devastating attack on Lucy’s farm, though, David admits to himself that the idea isn’t as good as he originally thought. “There is something misconceived about it, something that does not come from the heart,” Coetzee writes, explaining that David eventually decides to shift the opera’s focus so that it centers not on Byron, but on Teresa. In fact, he decides to start the play long after Byron has died. This willingness to rethink the project signals David’s newfound sense of self-awareness, as he perhaps realizes that his original desire to write about Byron’s love life was nothing more than an arrogant wish to write about his own romantic affairs. In this way, the changing opera signifies David’s shifting perception of himself and his slow recognition of his vanity. Indeed, the fact that nothing ever comes of the opera—which David soon accepts is nothing more than “the kind of work a sleepwalker might write”—parallels David’s progression through life, since he finally understands that neither he nor his opera are destined for greatness.