Restorative Justice in Post-Apartheid Narratives: Tutu’s The Book of Forgiving and Coetzee’s Disgrace

Abstract

Restorative justice, an approach to addressing harm that prioritizes healing, accountability, and the restoration of relationships over punishment, has been pivotal in framing post-apartheid South Africa, particularly through the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). This study examines the representations of restorative justice in Desmond Tutu’s The Book of Forgiving and J.M. Coetzee’s Disgrace. While Tutu advances a prescriptive and hopeful model of forgiveness as central to both personal and national healing, Coetzee offers a more critical perspective that undermines the moral and social limitations of reconciliation in a society still haunted by systemic violence and inequality. This comparative research explores how both texts engage with the ideals and contradictions of restorative justice, revealing the complex interplay between forgiveness, justice, and the lingering wounds of apartheid.