DECODING SILENCE IN THE AISLE OF POWER ACQUISITION IN COETZEE’S DISGRACE AND KING’S GERALD’S GAMES

Abstract

‘Silence’ refers to the forbearance from ambient audible sounds and writings. In a rhetorical context, silence can be seen as a gesture of the ‘pregnant pause’, where the moment of silence denotes the omission of noise and signifies a space left for ponderous thoughts. Silence itself is an expression well described by authors like Thomas Hardy, Maya Angelou, J.M. Coetzee, Stephen King, and Jay Asher. Since, the concept of silence is intertwined with violating women’s honour, it finds its expression in the form of psychological trauma and incomprehensible emotions. In Disgrace, J.M Coetzee shatters the premonitions expected of women in a situation of brutal rape by depicting the power of silence to venture out for new options through Lucy's portrayal. Unlike Coetzee, Stephen King, in his novel Gerald’s Game, portrays its offset by critiquing Jessie’s silence, which thrust her into hard times. This paper aims to explore the nuances of silence in the selected novels of Coetzee and King and also tries to highlight the relation of silence with resilience as well as power acquisition associated with a promise of comfort.