How does the author enable the reader to share the experience of the main character?
Patrick Suskind’s use of visual imagery captures the audiences’ sense of smell by dragging the reader into this world of hideous stench. Perfume is unique as it creates a reality by ‘painting a picture’ in the mind of the reader through the olfactory senses. Suskind does, on many occasions, manipulate the readers’ basic instincts through the novel’s protagonist, Jean Baptiste Grenouille.
Suskind is successful in the way that he takes the reader into his story through the use of very vivid detail in his description of the odours in this book in the way that other authors describe surroundings.
Suskind’s writing technique is also distinctive in the way that he uses phrases and imagery to make what initially seem to be violent and grotesque descriptions an erotic and sexual encounter. This is a prominent theme when the main character is murdering his young virgins and dissecting various ‘smells.’
Through these various techniques of Suskind’s, we are drawn into the world of Jean Baptiste Grenouille. It is to be analysed in this essay how we are able to experience what Grenouille feels. The reader is confronted with the issues of acceptance and finding love both of which are relevant to human nature thus the audience is able to sympathise with him. He cannot achieve acceptance in society by being who he really is. He therefore strives to achieve this by killing in order to obtain the ultimate scent. It is with this scent that he will no longer be odourless and feared
Another theme which is brought into play is exploitation. In Perfume anyone who exploits Grenouille either dies or suffers. We are present at the birth of Grenouille, his admittance into the orphanage and consequent abuse, Baldini’s discovery of Grenouille’s gift, his self-imposed hibernation and his manipulation of the masses at his near execution. We are present It could be argued that this is made possible by the sympathy we feel for this man who is described as a beast whom everyone fears. Yet ,at the same time we are faced with the conflicting emotions that we feel for Grenouille. We admire his intelligence and his amazing sense of smell which leads to his success in achieving acceptance fro...
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...he reader is taken through these experiences and it is in these events that we form a relationship with Grenouille, even though his thoughts and feelings are conveyed through the third person, by Partrick Suskind. We create an opinion of Grenouille, it can be to the point where we can find his intelligence and determination almost admirable, but as mentioned previously, the contradicting attitude we feel for Grenouille is that we detest what he does in order to achieve his ‘ultimate scent’ in order to gain power and acceptance in society.
Through this analysis of how Patrick Suskind enables the reader to share the experience of Grenouille is by the events that happen to Grenouille personally. Patrick Suskind’s prepares the reader for grotesque descriptions of smells and murder at the beginning of the novel. Following this, is why Grenouille shows such a strong desire to obtain the perfect scent, how he yearns for acceptance and not to be an outcast in society. We sympathise with Grenouille and how society is ignorant of his gift yet he displays cold and ruthless behaviour. We also are disgusted with the lengths that he goes to to disect these smells.
...n very human feelings of resentment and jealousy. Grendel was an unstable and saddened figure because of his outcast status. Though Grendel had many animal attributes and a grotesque, monstrous appearance, he seemed to be guided by vaguely human emotions and impulses. He truthfully showed more of an interior life than one might expect. Exiled to the swamplands outside the boundaries of human society, Grendel’s depiction as an outcast is a symbol of the jealousy and hate that seeks to destroy others' happiness and can ultimately cripple a civilization. This take on the outcast archetype ultimately exposes the Anglo Saxon people’s weaknesses, their doubts and anxieties towards the traditional values that bounded nearly every aspect of their life.
Criticizing the cruelty of society, Baudelaire begins his book, Flowers of Evil, with a warning. To foreshadow the disturbing contents that his book focuses on, Baudelaire describes the unpleasant traits of men. Lured by the words of the Devil, people victimize others. Grotesque images of torture and swarming maggots exemplifies the horrors of our actions. Yes, our actions. Baudelaire puts shame to every human, including the reader, through the word “ours.” Humiliated, the reader dare not to allow himself to be guilty with the worst sin – boredom. Separated by dashes, the last sentence commands the reader to choose whether to fall to the worst or save himself a little bit of dignity. Accused and challenged, the reader is pressured to ponder
Albert Camus is a skillful writer noted for showing aspects of culture and society through the depiction of his characters. In The Stranger, Camus illustrates the existentialism culture and how that comes into play in the life of the protagonist Meursault. The Stranger, as suggested by the title, is a novel revolving around the protagonist, Meursault, who is a stranger to the French-Algerian society as he challenges its values. Camus vividly portrays Meursault’s journey through the use of imagery, irony, and symbolism. In The Stranger, Albert Camus uses the minor character, Raymond Sintes, to illustrate the contrasting nature of Meursault and how his friendship with Raymond leads to his downfall.
Grendel, surprisingly, adapts quite well to his society despite its detestation of his existence. Grendel live is a rattlesnake-guarded cave, which allows himself to detach from his society, giving him the necessary space to cope with the troublesome thoughts among his people about Grendel. Unlike Frankenstein, Grendel tries to associate with the members of his civilization but is rejected every time he tries to do so. Every night Grendel goes to Herot to listen to the Sharper’s stories because the history interests him. He is quite intrigued and appreciative of the tales he hears, but when he comes in contact with those from Herot, they do not reciprocate the appreciation of his presence in Herot. The ones he admires so much taunt and torture him to the point they try to kill him for “intruding.” As retaliation, Grendel fights back and raids Herot every night.
In every single novel, the importance of the symbolism is probably as important as the language the novel is written in. Author uses symbolism to create memorable scenes that have a hidden meaning behind their original face value. Symbolism especially plays a huge role in the novel by Albert Camus, ”the Outsider” , where author’s examples imply various emotional short-cuts and serve as a helper to understand the inner world of the main character – Meursault. This is a thought-provoking novel, which brilliantly illustrated Albert Camus’s theme of absurdity. One interesting aspect about “The stranger” is the protagonist, where in his life there are no certain meanings and motives for his actions and his life overall. The absurdity of the protagonist has no rational explanation. Each of the many actions by Meursault have huge influence on the description of the indifference of the world, where symbolism used by the protagonist underlines the human’s dignity and unimportance of the world. In the provocative novel “The stranger” by Albert Camus uses symbolism such as the crucifix, th...
Rife with different themes in every storyline, Les Misérables entices critics to examine the numerous themes and speculate as to their meanings. These themes that they elicit from the text include, but are not limited to, fate dictating the course of one’s life, good works saving every soul, evil being the root of all of the problems of humanity, society weighing a person down, misfortune being the sole cause of faults in a person, love being the meaning of life, and the ability of love to alter a person. Many who read the novel are enamored with the many themes and agree that they are all explicitly explored. First, according to the critic Reeves, one can try to shape his own destiny all that he wants by “[chiseling] the ‘mysterious block’” from which his fate is made. However, no matter...
As emblematic representatives of their country, U.S. Presidents exercise their beliefs and concepts regularly through the use of eloquence. John Fitzgerald Kennedy was elected president of the United States in 1960. Kennedy became president during times of great danger and fear for the nation of America, and others around the globe. With Communism being further more popular, and large weapon’s being frequently produced all around the world, the people of America needed a new premier commander. As the youngest elected official to ever govern the White House, Kennedy wanted to show his genuineness as a ruler, and verify that his presidency would lead to great hope and future. The president’s inaugural address allows the president to lay out his
Just like any other narrative, “Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl,” by Harriet Jacobs is a narrative telling about a slave 's story and what slaves go through as they execute the socioeconomic dictates of their masters. It is important to note that more than five thousand former slaves who were enslaved in North America had given an account of their slave life during the 18th and 19th centuries. Many of their narratives were published on books and newspaper articles. Most of the stories of these slaves were centered on the experiences of life in plantations, small farms owned by the middle class natives, mines and factories in the cities. It is undeniable that without those slave narratives, people today will not be able to know how slaves
While coming to terms with the absurd was a gradual process for Meursault, his final days and his heated conversation with the chaplain, and his desire for a hateful crowd of spectators show that he was able to accept the absurdity, and revel in it, finding satisfaction in spite of those around him and justifying his murder. His ego had reached an all-time high as he neared his execution, and his satisfaction left him prepared for the nothingness awaiting him. This process was a natural psychological response to his mortality, for his peace of mind. Therefore, Meursault is not the Stranger, an alien to society, but a troubled man seeking meaning and satisfaction in a life and a world that was overwhelming unsatisfactory and absurd.
It is said that this book is considered as one of the most famous horror novels, if not the most famous one. The Gothic descriptions in the novel are very prominent at the beginning. The portrayal of the countryside of Transylvania, of the ruined Dracula Castle, etc, all provide the effect of horror in the sense of spooky and gloomy atmosphere, which you can obtain close at hand. Everything is so obvious. The originally beautiful scenes are changed by the writer¡¯s magnification of some specific details which provide certain effect on the readers. All of the above reminds how one¡¯s personal feelings can alter their attitudes towards what they see or what they experience. Sometimes when you are sad, everything look so depressing. It is like the whole world is against you. The sunset could be a fantastic scene when you are filled with joy but an extra source of sorrow when you are not in the mood. Harker is separated from her lovely fianc¨¦e to meet some foreign count in the exotic and unknown eastern world.
Grenouille dominates the authoritative figures in his life from a submissive position. At his birth Grenouille recognizes the necessity of bowing to those above him in order to survive. As his mother gives birth and “wishes only for the pain to stop” so she could “live for a while yet and perhaps even marry,” Grenouille lays silent under the fish stand (Suskind 5). This pattern continues as Grenouille fights to find his identity among the rest of the world. Moving on from his mother, Grenouille quietly observes all the rules set by Madame Gaillard, meekly allows Grimal to treat him as a slave, and willingly grants Baldini’s life goal of becoming the best perfumer in all of France. By allowing himself to act submissively, Grenouille earns the trust of the authorities, which gives him the freedom to become a tick. For instance, Grimal sees only the profit in Grenouille whose “Life was worth precisely as much as the work he could accomplish” (Suskind 31). Once Grenouille overcomes his bout of anthrax, Grimal allows Grenouille more freedom. Grenouille maintains his submissiveness, waiting for the right time to strike, just as a tick waits for the right moment to bite.
The most effective form of parenting that has been studied so far is the authoritative parenting style. This style is demanding of the child, while still being responsive to their needs and wants. It is demanding, because the parent expects the absolute best out of their child. The parent knows what the child is capable of though,
John Gardner’s Grendel portrays a monster searching for his purpose in life. The characters know the meaning of their lives, but Grendel tries to discover his role and what life has to offer him. Grendel discovers his identity through other characters’ actions and beliefs. In Grendel, John Gardner illustrates the contrasting views of each character to show their view of society and the influence they have on Grendel.
In writing the speech, he wanted it to be brief but powerful and focus on foreign policy and to unite all American citizens by pointing out their common values and ethics such as equal rights; beliefs in life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness; and hard work. The most famous section of the speech was near the end when Kennedy said to all Americans, “And, so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” He also appealed to the citizens of the world by saying, “My fellow citizens of the world, ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man” (JFK’s Inaugural Address). These lines made it clear that it was everyone’s responsibility to make the changes the entire world wanted to see. The newly-elected President of the United States repeated these appeals to both Americans and the world throughout the speech to grab the attention of the audience, for example, “Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship…” (JFK’s Inaugural Address). He wanted to keep his promise of establishing peace between nations and wanted to let all countries and citizens know that all would gain success if they worked
The authors' relations to us on the characters' places in society help us to relate to and comprehend their actions. If Meursault hadn't been so detached from society, Noboru so discontented with society, and Medea so vengeful toward society, we wouldn't have half of the justification needed to understand the murders that took place in the works. Given the presented material about conformity, I conclude that the stories' plots indeed grow around the unique attributes of the non-conformers, and as result, spark the reader's imagination to the fullest.