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Individualism In Patrick Süskind's Perfume-Story Of A Murderer

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The novel, Perfume- Story of a Murderer, is set in eighteenth-century France. The eighteenth-century was a significant period in French and European histories alike, as it marks an important era of change known as the Enlightenment. Also known as the “Age of Reason”, the Enlightenment saw, among other things, a rise in individualism across European societies. This notion is naturally apparent in Patrick Süskind’s novel and particularly in its main character, Grenouille. From his birth to his trip to becoming a journeyman and pursuing his personal goal of becoming the best perfumer, Grenouille is the embodiment of many changes that are characteristic to Enlightenment individualism such as the introduction of inborn rights and increased social …show more content…

Firstly, the fist association of love and death is initially apparent with Grenouille’s birth. With the beginning of the story, Grenouille’s mother seeks to effect Grenouille at a food market, as she had done before with four other infants. Standing at a fish stall in the rue aux Fers, Grenouille’s mother squatted under a gutting table, giving birth and cutting newborn Grenouille’s umbilical cord. Upon this, and on account of the heat and the stench, Grenouille’s mother grows faint and topples, falling from under the gutting table into the street to cause a commotion. …show more content…

This is first shown in Grenouille’s first murder. Having had the “prescience of something extraordinary” (40) in the Pavilion de Flore, Grenouille had come across a scent that he deemed the “higher principle” (44) to all other odors. Attracted by this aromatic treasure, Grenouille proceeds to follow its trail to the rue de Seine. There, Grenouille finds a young girl sitting and cleaning yellow plums. Perplexed initially, Grenouille thinks that “he had never seen anything so beautiful as this girl” (43), however, “he meant, of course, that he had never smelled anything so beautiful” (43). Looking to preserve this “pure beauty” (43) solely for himself, Grenouille subsequently strangles this girl to the ground, killing her. Thus, a link between love and death can again be observed. In order to preserve this beauty which has the power to incite love, Grenouillle kills this girl and many others like her, stealing the essence of what of makes them beautiful and desirable, their smell, for use towards his own personal ends. Therefore, Süskind creates a stark contrast which can be observed here by how egocentric Grenouille selfishly uses death and murder to reach his desired ends, preserving the beauty and love contained within young girls to quench his olfactory obsession and ultimately create the most fragrant perfume ever, a perfume of love. In this way, Grenouille’s travels and his pursuit of his

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