庫吉爾於一九九九年出版的作品《屈辱》凸顯出南非後種族隔離時期歷史與族群中幾無停歇之衝突。然而，他對於「新南非」的著墨卻引發諸多爭論。在我的論文中，我將試著探討庫吉爾如何藉由他獨特的敘事策略，道出一種足以撼動我們對現實的理解，一個「屬於他自己的真相」。我的討論方式接近米勒所提出的「閱讀倫理學」，也就是在閱讀過程中有一倫理的片刻，一種「屬於個人且特有，成為政治或認知行動的根源，而非其附屬品」（米勒 5頁）。
我的論文分為五章。第一章勾勒出小說背景，以及論文的主要概念與討論方向。第二章我試著指出庫吉爾自始至終都秉持著道出「屬於他自己的真相」來為讀者提供解讀現實的另類角度。我也將討論庫吉爾在近年來在寫作策略上的轉變，指出庫吉爾在近年來所發展出的「論文小說」—一種獨特的敘事策略，針對人類的掙扎持續地提出種種哲學問題。在第三章中，我將討論在和解過程中所遭遇的道德模糊。我特別針對小說主角大衛在懲戒委員會中的道德模糊來做討論。大衛的道德處境既不輕鬆也無法令人滿意。正如同他所言，他「既不是壞人也不是好人」（195頁）。他始終無法為自己的道德處境找到一個出口。在第四章中我試圖提出一個有可能，卻不明確的「恩典的狀態」—一種與南非黑人達成族群和解的可能性。這種「恩典的狀態」僅可能透過一種「雙重斡旋」來達成。首先，藉由對動物「同情式的想像」大衛重新界定他與露西的關係。接著，透過露西間接與南非黑人達成一種和解關係。第五章為結論。我將指出庫吉爾如何藉由他獨特卻使人不安的敘事策略來持續探索人類掙扎卻又不提供任何解答。他讓故事為故事本身出聲，撼動我們對現實的理解，並等待和解到來的一日。

J. M. Coetzee’s Disgrace highlights the almost perpetual conflicts in post-apartheid South African history and ethnicity. His engagement of the “new South Africa,” however, has generated fierce debates. In my thesis I try to argue that Coetzee, with his storytelling, tells “his own truth” that disquiets our senses to reality itself. My approach is related to J. Hillis Miller’s idea of “the ethics of reading,” which generates an ethical moment that is “something individual and particular, itself a source of political or cognitive acts, not subordinated to them” (Miller 5).
My thesis is divided into five chapters. The first chapter is an introduction to the major ideas of my thesis. In the second chapter I argue that Coetzee, starting from his literary career, has insisted on revealing “his own truth” by storytelling, which provides us an alternative way to face the reality. I also identify Coetzee’s recent shifting narrative strategy, arguing that Coetzee has developed a unique way of narrative, namely, “essay-fiction,” which keeps asking philosophical questions about human struggles. Chapter three is about the moral ambiguity during the process of reconciliation. I particularly single out David’s moral struggle in the disciplinary committee. David’s moral position is neither easy nor satisfying. As his self-examination goes, he is “Not a bad man but not good either” (195). He is still in a way through, not yet a way out of his moral ambiguity. In chapter four I propose a possibility, though a vague one, of a “state of grace”—a better racial relationship with the black South Africans for David. This “state of grace” might be realized by “double mediation”—first, via David’s “sympathetic imagination” with the animals David redefines his relationship with Lucy; second, via Lucy it is possible for David to reconcile with the black South Africans. The last chapter concludes my thesis, pointing out that Coetzee, with his unique narrative strategy, consistently delves into human struggles but without providing any comfortable solutions. He makes his story speak for itself, shaking our senses of reality itself, and waiting for true reconciliation to come.

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