PERFUMEPERFUME

The Enlightenment: 1650-1800The Enlightenment: 1650-1800

by S Abeyawardeneby S Abeyawardene

The Enlightenment: 1650-1800The Enlightenment: 1650-1800

The Roots of the EnlightenmentThe Roots of the EnlightenmentKey Events:Key Events:

16051605 -  Kepler discovers first law of planetary motion -  Kepler discovers first law of planetary motion

16091609 -  Galileo develops his first telescope and supports the sun-centered  -  Galileo develops his first telescope and supports the sun-centered Copernican model of the solar system Copernican model of the solar system

16871687 -  Newton publishes  -  Newton publishes Philosophiae Naturalis Principia MathematicaPhilosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica

How is this scientific revolution reflected in the novel?How is this scientific revolution reflected in the novel?

What is God’s place in this emergent scientific world?What is God’s place in this emergent scientific world?

How is this question addressed in How is this question addressed in PerfumePerfume??

Other developments…Other developments… Exploration and ImperialismExploration and Imperialism

- brought Europeans into contact with new cultures- brought Europeans into contact with new cultures The Declining Influence of the ChurchThe Declining Influence of the Church

- philosophers claimed rational thought to be more - philosophers claimed rational thought to be more important as a guide to conduct than religionimportant as a guide to conduct than religion

- it became much more common in European - it became much more common in European intellectual circles to put the concepts of religious intellectual circles to put the concepts of religious belief to question. Does God even exist? belief to question. Does God even exist?

The Thirty Years’ WarThe Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648) (1618-1648)

- Bohemian Protestants revolted against their - Bohemian Protestants revolted against their incoming Catholic king. His divine right to monarchy incoming Catholic king. His divine right to monarchy was questioned.was questioned.

How – if at all – does Suskind incorporate these How – if at all – does Suskind incorporate these contextual aspects in contextual aspects in PerfumePerfume??

Most importantly…Most importantly… John Comenius (1592–1670) questioned the John Comenius (1592–1670) questioned the

necessity of war, emphasizing the similarity necessity of war, emphasizing the similarity of man by writing that “we are all citizens of of man by writing that “we are all citizens of one world, we are all of one blood.”one world, we are all of one blood.”

Dutch thinker Hugo Grotius (1583–1645) Dutch thinker Hugo Grotius (1583–1645) wrote that the right of an individual to live wrote that the right of an individual to live and exist peacefully transcends any and exist peacefully transcends any responsibility to a government’s idea of responsibility to a government’s idea of national duty.national duty.

These ‘enlightened’, yet controversial ideas of These ‘enlightened’, yet controversial ideas of that time are widely accepted, today. Can that time are widely accepted, today. Can you think where?you think where?

Fundamentally, the Enlightenment heralded…Fundamentally, the Enlightenment heralded…

man’s ability to reason, to look past the man’s ability to reason, to look past the traditions and conventions that had traditions and conventions that had dominated Europe in the past, and to dominated Europe in the past, and to make decisions for himselfmake decisions for himself

the separation and freedom of man’s the separation and freedom of man’s intellect from God - a development that intellect from God - a development that opened the door to new discoveries and opened the door to new discoveries and ideas (an important contextual aspect in ideas (an important contextual aspect in our study of the novel)our study of the novel)

the decline of the most powerful of the decline of the most powerful of Europe’s long-standing institutions, the Europe’s long-standing institutions, the church and the monarchy.church and the monarchy.

INDIVIDUALISM, RELATIVISM, INDIVIDUALISM, RELATIVISM, AND RATIONALISMAND RATIONALISM

……encompassed everything the Enlightenment encompassed everything the Enlightenment would stand for.would stand for.

Individualism, which emphasized the importance Individualism, which emphasized the importance of the individual and his inborn rights.of the individual and his inborn rights.

Relativism, was the concept that different Relativism, was the concept that different cultures, beliefs, ideas, and value systems had cultures, beliefs, ideas, and value systems had equal merit.equal merit.

Rationalism was the conviction that with the Rationalism was the conviction that with the power of reason, humans could arrive at truth power of reason, humans could arrive at truth and improve the world.and improve the world.

How are these contextual ideas brought into How are these contextual ideas brought into the novel?the novel?

How does the story of Grenouille, our How does the story of Grenouille, our alienated antihero, reflect any of these? alienated antihero, reflect any of these?