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Perfume Satire

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Patrick Süskind’s Perfume is set against the background of a transforming French society in the late 18th century as it moves away from conservatism bolstered through adherence to traditional ideals towards an age of reason driven by Enlightenment principles. Süskind, from the German perspective, vividly demonstrates the change through Jean-Baptiste Grenouille’s experiences with the marquis de La Taillade-Espinasse. In doing so, Süskind highlights the flaws of scientific progress and its artificial nature. In his novel, Perfume, Süskind employs satire to criticize the Enlightenment in French society through deceptions justified by pseudoscience, a group of beliefs and practices lacking true scientific basis.
Süskind employs situational irony …show more content…

While looking at himself in the mirror, Grenouille realizes that due to “few clothes, the haircut, and the little masquerade with cosmetics,” as opposed to the marquis’ science, he transforms into a “normal” person (Süskind 145). Through an epiphany, Süskind highlights Grenouille’s realization that he has not truly changed as a result of the marquis’ scientific treatment, but rather others gave him the title of normality in reaction to the cosmetics that disguised his true appearance. Süskind allows the reader to understand that the marquis feeds Grenouille and himself lies about the validity and reliability of his fluidum letale theory, yet takes extra precautionary steps to ensure that his theory will convince the scientific community by forcing Grenouille to keep “strictly to the instructions the marquis has given him” (Suskind 142). As a result, Süskind furthers his satirization of the Enlightenment by providing a direct attack on the artificial nature of the scientists’ creation and acceptance of flawed thought in French society. Similar to Süskind’s negative depiction of the marquis, the Counter Enlightenment of the late 18th century and early 19th century posed an attack with a conservative opposition to the radical Enlightenment society. English statesman Edmund Burke sparked the Counter Enlightenment with …show more content…

Süskind parallels the death of the marquis to the deaths of other characters that also interacted with Grenouille, such as Grimal or Baldini, by highlighting the death’s occurrence following Grenouille’s departure (Süskind 161). Through the incorporation of parallelism, Süskind compares the death of the marquis to the deaths of other characters to emphasize that corruption does not only exist in scientific work, but also within the rest of French society. Süskind illustrates that the marquis’ greed for power and influence drives him to take irrational actions that leads to his demise. Furthermore, Süskind describes that although the marquis vanished, his teachings “suffered no damage at all” and carried a long lasting impact (Suskind 162). Süskind channels his German perspective towards the Enlightenment in France by reinforcing that science should hold greater value than fame or greed. Thus, Süskind satirizes the Enlightenment in French society by indirectly admonishing the lack of genuine scientific curiosity and its replacement with fame or power during the growth of scientific progress in France. Similarly, during the Counter Enlightenment, German philosopher Immanuel Kant sought to counter “French superficiality and lightmindedness with German depth and

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