Taming the Sensory Monster: A study of Patrick Suskinds NovelPerfume
Writers over the ages have experimented with various forms of literature. Though sensory perception is central to any literary work, the act of sensory perception as the leitmotif of a work, especially a novel has been a very rare event in literature. Even in those works that deal with the senses, we see a general tendency towards marginalising the olfactory sense. One reason for this is the lack of vocabulary to describe olfactory experiences. Thus, there is no wonder why there has been very little works concerning olfactory perceptions in literature. Süskind in his novel Perfume, howevertranscends this and attempts to describe in detail the olfactory world around us and his novel has been considered to be one of the finest attempts at deciphering ‘the senses’. Smell has always been an elusive aspectwhen compared with visual or even auditory phenomena. Olfactory events and states have always been underrepresented or left almost undescribed. “Language is of no use when it comes to describing the smellable world” (Süskind, 151, 152)Süskind, in spite of his exceptional gift for descriptive register of language, is forced to find direction through …show more content…
In spite of this, Süskind has managed to create an impression through his work. The fact that his novel has been a huge success testifies to this. Through an understanding and analysis of the various literary tools used by the author, we realize that the action and the plot have been given colour by the author using figures of speech like metaphor, personification, and similes. Süskind’s language upholds its beauty using sensory images which becomes the food for his language. Perfume is unique as it creates a reality through invoking the olfactory senses. The character of the protagonist has been brought out using olfactory
Writers over the ages have experimented with various forms of literature. Though sensory perception is central to any literary work, the act of sensory perception as the leitmotif of a work, especially a novel has been a very rare event in literature. Even in those works that deal with the senses, we see a general tendency towards marginalising the olfactory sense. One reason for this is the lack of vocabulary to describe olfactory experiences. Thus, there is no wonder why there has been very little works concerning olfactory perceptions in literature. Süskind in his novel Perfume, howevertranscends this and attempts to describe in detail the olfactory world around us and his novel has been considered to be one of the finest attempts at deciphering ‘the senses’. Smell has always been an elusive aspectwhen compared with visual or even auditory phenomena. Olfactory events and states have always been underrepresented or left almost undescribed. “Language is of no use when it comes to describing the smellable world” (Süskind, 151, 152)Süskind, in spite of his exceptional gift for descriptive register of language, is forced to find direction through …show more content…
In spite of this, Süskind has managed to create an impression through his work. The fact that his novel has been a huge success testifies to this. Through an understanding and analysis of the various literary tools used by the author, we realize that the action and the plot have been given colour by the author using figures of speech like metaphor, personification, and similes. Süskind’s language upholds its beauty using sensory images which becomes the food for his language. Perfume is unique as it creates a reality through invoking the olfactory senses. The character of the protagonist has been brought out using olfactory