Lorie's Use Of Sympathy In David Lurie

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David Lurie has done a lot of bad things like objectifying women and refusing to admit what he did to Melanie. He acts creepy, for example towards Melanie: “"There, there," he whispers, trying to comfort her. "Tell me what is wrong." Almost he says, "Tell Daddy what is wrong."” He does not know what love is anymore, basically annoys the reader to no end and we really should not feel sympathy for him. But the use of Lurie’s perspective gives him more sympathy and in the end, the reader does sympathize with him. First of all, using the perspective of Lurie gives him more sympathy. You do not get the thoughts and feelings of all characters, only from the main character. It is the same in real life, so it makes him seem more like a real person. In reality, you have no idea what someone else is thinking and this makes it easier to identify with him. He also gets to justify his own actions. About the Melanie-affair he can explain: “I was not myself. I was no longer a fifty-year-old divorcé at a loose end. I became a servant of Eros.” The effect of this is that the …show more content…

During the whole book, you are in his head and you watch his life get ruined. You just have to forgive him for all the stupid things he has done. And he has been through a lot as well like divorce, losing his job and the rape of his daughter. And in the end, he realizes his mistakes and tries to better his life. His is making amends with Melanie, gives Bev a dog and tries to have a good relationship with his daughter. He is trying his best. He feels bad too: “And I did nothing. I did nothing to save you." And one of the moments the reader realizes how much he cares for Lucy is when he thinks: “So that is it. No more lies. My people. As naked an answer as he could wish. Well, Lucy is his people.” The effect of this is that the reader thinks Lurie doesn’t deserve this all and might even be a good person. And that is probably exactly what the writer is going