Perfume, By Patrick Suskind Essay - 1598 Words

As a German writer, the reason for which Patrick Suskind wrote his critically-acclaimed novel, Perfume, in a French setting, about the French, is questionable. However, candidate answers lie in the setting of the novel itself. Mid-18th century France, which is adjacent to Suskind’s Germany, harboured not only a national, but global revolution of politics, economics, and social norms through the French reforms. This had plentiful influence on all aspects of Prussia since the late 17th century (when Germany was known as Prussia) to the present. This stepping stone to a change in practicality lied in the French Revolution and the change of identity that it instilled upon the populace. An exploration of Grenouille and perfume in Perfume reveals their symbolism of the critical transition from religious prominence, to humanistic considerations, to nihilistic extremes that ensued national and global chaos after the French Revolution to represents its influence on Germany and its cons tituent populace. Perfume’s mid-18th century setting boasts a religious presence through the Kingship rights employed by Roman Catholic Church doctrines, that was gradually diminishing due to an Age of Enlightenment paradigm-shift and an introduction of humanistic and nihilistic views from the French Revolution. In past and present-days, perfume has been a symbol of religion and divine transcendence. Incense is often depicted as a transcendent connection to God in the form of smoke and scent,Show MoreRelatedPerfume a Novel by Patrick Sà ¼skind1081 Words   |  4 PagesThroughout the novel Perfume: Story of a Murder, the author, Patrick Sà ¼skind includes large amounts of evidence suggesting that the protagonist of the story, Grenouille, manifests a strong resemblance to the Devil. Throughout the duration of his life, Grenouille, through his actions, proves he has a strong link/resemblance to the devil. Greed is an important aspect in both Grenouille and his victims throughout the novel, this supports the accusation of Grenouille having a mental resemblance to theRead More`` Perfume : The Story Of A Murderer, By Patrick Suskind1254 Words   |  6 Pages‘Perfume: The Story of a Murderer’, by Patrick Suskind, is an exciting novel which revolves around a physically normal but quite young protagonist named Jean-Baptiste Grenouille. This remarkable young boy stands out above the rest. 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This is evident through several main characters and several other minor characters such as Grenouille’s mother, Father Terrier, Grenouille, Grimal and Taillade-Espinasse. Understanding how Sà ¼skind manipulates hygiene to disguise character aims enablesRead MoreGrenouilles Tick-Like Nature in Perfume: The Story of a Murderer1186 Words   |  5 Pages Perfume, written by Patrick Suskind, explores the effect of a loveless life on the main character, Grenouille. From the first breath he draws, Grenouille must fight for himself. Through his tick-like nature, Grenouille absorbs power from his authority figures, leaving them lifeless while simultaneously achieving his goal. As his goals shift Grenouille moves from submission to dominance, and ultimately achieves total control over humanity. Suskind uses Grenouille’s journey to comment on the universal