Suskind's Use Of Biblical Allusions In Perfume

In the novel Perfume, Suskind’s oppositional structures explore religion and knowledge through Biblical allusions in order to contrast the uncertainty of religion with the manipulative power of omniscience. Throughout the text, Suskind analyzes the unreliability of religion in comparison with the power of omniscience through Biblical allusions in order to portray the parallels between knowledge and religion. Suskind’s integrates religion and omniscience through ironic context for Biblical allusions in order to employ the sovereign nature of Grenouille through omniscience and reveals the deceptive, fallible nature of religion.

Suskind magnifies deception through ironic context for Biblical allusions in order to highlight the deceptive nature

Despite Father Terrier being a minor character in the text, Suskind devotes a few pages of Father Terrier explaining his interpretation or religion and philosophy. Unlike most religious figures, Father Terrier loosely believes in religion, for “he had not merely studied theology but had read the philosophers as well” (13). Although Father Terrier studies both studies, philosophy weighs more importance and relevance in Father Terrier’s life. The placement of religion in the back indicates the irrelevancy in which religion plays in the lives of those in humanity. It also indicates that position or rank in the world of religion serves no purpose, for even religious figures exist absentminded and loosely connected to religion. Father Terrier chooses to devote his studies to philosophy, however he still questions the power of the devil. His concerns overwhelm him, resulting in allowing “ecclesiastical bodies decide the foundations of theology” (14). Despite having personal concerns with religion, Father Terrier refuses to dig deeper into theology. The failure to analyze his concerns with religion shows that religion possesses a too wide range of uncertainty and complications. It also shows that Father Terrier only leaves other monks with the task of theology in order to indicate the lack of significance in him and other religious

During Grenouille’s childhood, Grenouille labors for Baldini and subjects himself to Talliade Espinasse. Despite being young and looked down upon, Grenouille exhibits aggressive, manipulative behavior through Biblical allusions. When bringing leather to Baldini, Grenouille says “ you want to make this leather I’ve brought you smell good, don’t you ? (71). Although Grenouille labors, Grenouille serves at a subservient position in order to provide the false illusion in that his masters have the ultimate power. Resembling the snake in the garden of Eden, Grenouille mimics snake like behaviors in order to deceive his masters into thinking they have ultimate power and to reach his objective. Grenouille only concerns himself with the leather for the benefit of him working for Baldini and reaching his goal of perfumery perfection. After Grenouille stops aiding Talliade Espinasse, Talliade leaves on his journey and “his followers waited that Christmas eve… he neither returned as an old man nor a young one” ( 161). Despite Christmas Eve being a time of Jesus’s birth, Talliade falls into death and misfortune. The ironic misfortune Talliade encounters signifies that characters that Grenouille interacts upon only serve to Grenouille’s desires and receive misfortune when they serve no purpose. This reinforces the role of inadequate