Animal+References

Animals referred to in "Disgrace": Dogs Goats Cats Snakes Rabbits Dove Pig Sheep Birds Humans Poultry Ducks Chimpanzies

Actual references in the book:

Snakes p.2: “copulation of snakes: lenghthy, absorbed, but rather abstract, rather dry, even at its hottest.” (intercourse between Soraya and David.)

Rabbit p.24: “ lole a rabbit when the jaws of the fox cloe on its neck. So that everything done to her might be done, as it were, far away."

Dove p.34: “My little dove”

Dog or Pig p.74: " I dont want to come back in another existence as a dog or a pig and have to live as dogs or pigs live under us."

Animals p.74: " As for animals, by all means let us be kind to them. But let us not lose perspective. We are of a different order of creation from the animals. Not higher, necessarily, just different. So if we are going to be kind, let it be out of simple generosity, not because we feel guilty or fear retribution."

Dog p.90: " One can punish a dog, it seems to me, for an offence like chewing a slipper. A dog will accept the justice of that: a beating for a chewing. But desire is another story. No animal will accept the justice of being punished for following its instincts."

Dogs p.110: " a grave for six full-grown dogs."

Dogs p.116: "..killed six watchdogs.."

Sheep p.123: " Sheep do not own themselves, do not own their lives. They exist to be used, every last ounce of them, their flesh to be eaten, their bones to be crushed and fed to poultry."

Dogs p.146: "..For the sake of the dogs, but the dogs are dead; and what do dogs know of honour and dishonour anyway? ....A dog man, Petrus once called himself. Well, now he has become a dog-man: a dog undertaker; a dog psychopomp; a harijan."

p.159: " They spur each other on...like dogs in a pack."

p.161: " I think of you as one of the three chimpanzees, the one with his paws over his eyes."

p.178: " he misses the duck family..Mother Duck..Eenie, Meenie,Minie and Mo paddle busily behind..."

p.185" Simile That is Soraya and the others were for:to suck the complex proteins out of his blood like snake-venom, leaving him clear-headed and dry."

p.189 Simile "you had out in Torrance Road like a tortoise afraid to stick its neck out of its shell.."

p.209 " Too many in too small a space. Like spiders in a bottle."]

p.211" Twice a day he feeds the animals; he cleans out their pens and occasionally talks to them.."

p.214 Simile " ...like a bird, a single authentic note of immortal longing."

p.219 " He has learned by now, from her, to conecentrate all his attention on the animal they are killing, giving it what he no longer has difficulty in calling by its proper name: love" p.220 " 'Are you giving him up?' ' Yes, I am giving him up.' "