AllusionCoetzee often alludes in his writing to literature, historical events and figures, classical mythology, and pop culture. These allusions often contain a lot of subtextual information. What follows is an analysis of two of the most significant allusions. The youngest member of the trio of thieves who rob the Luries and rape Lucy is named Pollux. This is probably an allusion to the Greek myth Castor and Pollux. Castor and Pollux are half-brothers. Their myth partly involves the kidnapping and rape of the Leucippides, Phoebe and Hilaeira, who become pregnant as a result of the rapes. This aspect of the myth is very similar to the plot of Disgrace as Lucy (note the phonetic similarity between Lucy and Leucippides) becomes pregnant when Pollux and his quasi-brothers rape her. Additionally, the myth of Castor and Pollux culminates with Idas, the fiancé of one of the Leucippides, attempting to kill Pollux. Pollux is saved when Zeus (his father) intervenes and kills Idas. This is again similar to the plot of Disgrace when Lurie tries to have Pollux arrested, but Petrus (Pollux's father figure) protects him by hiding his personal information. (139) Another significant allusion Coetzee makes concerns Lord Byron and his lover Teresa, Countess Guiccioli. This allusion appears several times in the beginning and middle of the novel, but it actually appears closer to the end. Indeed, towards the end of this novel, the allusion to Byron becomes an aspect of the plot. This allusion is significant because Byron comes to symbolize Lurie. We see this in three ways. First, they share similar characteristics. They are both specialists in the English language. They are both immersed in a romantic act... middle of paper ......, the initial conflict was actively ignored by the protagonist. Once Lurie leaves town to visit Lucy, he avoids, to the best of his ability, any conversation about Melanie. He even avoids thinking about her too directly: every time she comes to mind, Mélanie is nicknamed “the girl”. (65.89) In the middle section of this book, a new main conflict is introduced with Lucy's rape and the aftermath of that event. This new main conflict is somewhat of a response to the original main conflict. Both conflicts center on the rape and the subsequent actions of the victims and perpetrators. The new main conflict helps establish the socio-political environment of the South African countryside which contributes to the setting of the novel. This also triggers important character development for Lucy and David, which will be analyzed in more detail below..