Disgrace

by

J. M. Coetzee

Desmond Swarts Character Analysis

The Dean of the Engineering department, and one of the colleagues sitting on the disciplinary committee that hears David’s case. When David starts digging a hole for himself by refusing to review Melanie’s allegations, Swarts kindly encourages him to stop and consider whether or not he’s acting in his own best interest. Furthermore, he goes out of his way to avoid the “coldly formalistic” manner of addressing David that the rest of the committee has adopted, saying, “David, are you sure you don’t want a postponement to give yourself time to reflect and perhaps consult?” He then points out that David might lose his job, saying, “That is no joke in these days.” Nevertheless, David continues to behave stubbornly.
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Desmond Swarts Character Timeline in Disgrace

The timeline below shows where the character Desmond Swarts appears in Disgrace. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 6
Shame, Remorse, and Vanity Theme Icon
...of Manas Mathabane (a religious studies professor who is chair of the committee), Farodia Rassool, Desmond Swarts (dean of the Engineering department), a woman from the school of business, and a student... (full context)