It is universally accepted that, at the age of fifty-two, men court women of the same age. However, David Lurie, the protagonist of JM Coetzee's Disgrace, does not meet these standards. He is absolutely infatuated with women in their twenties, his college students and even young coeds. Not only is he attracted to girls, a troubling idea in itself, but he is also disgusted by the thought of being with women his own age. These disturbing ideas that David Lurie has towards both young girls and older women stem from his insecurity and dissatisfaction with his old age. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay From the moment the novel begins, it is blatantly obvious that David Lurie has a strong passion for girls. The most obvious example of this can be seen in his attraction to Melanie, one of his students in the Romantic Poets course at Cape Technical University. From the moment David begins his relationship with her, he notices her many childish characteristics, one of which is her hips "as thin as a twelve-year-old's" (19). Not only does David immediately notice her abundance of childlike characteristics, but also the fact that she, compared to her age of fifty-two, is basically a child. One afternoon, after walking her home in the rain, David's thoughts torment him: "A baby!" thinks: “No more than a child!” but despite his sudden realization, his heart still “staggers with longing” (20). Most readers would already be shocked by David's utter infatuation and obsession with this girl who is obviously much younger than him; however, his situation becomes much more troubling when he meets Melanie's younger sister, Desiree. Not five minutes into a conversation with this young student, David cannot help but imagine both Melanie and Desiree "in the same bed: an experience fit for a king" (164). While it's disturbing to think of a man fantasizing about his student who has just passed the age of legality, it's probably even scarier to think of that man fantasizing about that student's younger sister, who has yet to reach the age of legality. consent. However, the obvious fact that this is appalling behavior does not stop David Lurie, when, upon seeing Desiree for the last time, "the current jumps, the current of desire" (173). Since David is so into girls at a much younger age, it's no surprise that he is seemingly disgusted by the thought of being with women his own age. Similar to his infatuation with young girls, it is readily apparent from the beginning of the novel that David Lurie has a distaste for women his age. The first example of this can be seen when he takes his new secretary, Dawn, out to dinner. When they have sex later, he proclaims it was a "failure" and proceeds to avoid her when he sees her on campus (9). However, the clearest example of his dislike of women his age can be seen in his opinions of Bev Shaw, his daughter's friend and neighbor. When David first meets Bev, he "isn't taken" and describes her as a "squat, perky little woman with black freckles, short, shaggy hair, and no neck" (72). He hasn't even spoken to her yet and is already disgusted by her appearance and the way she presents herself. However, despite his initial disgust for Bev, David gives in to his primal desires and begins having an affair with her. Even so, he still feels an aversion to the thought of being with Bev, musing, “After the sweet, young flesh of Melanie Isaacs, this is what I'm for?.