While religion appears to represent the faithful nature of the characters in Patrick Suskind’s novel, Perfume, the love the characters hold for their religion instead hides their selfish natures. With the knowledge that God offers forgiveness, the characters feel the ability to succumb to their own pleasures and God-like dreams.
Throughout the novel Perfume, the main character, Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, aspires to gain enough power to become greater than God. With the hope of gaining enough power to control the world, his selfish craving leads him to build up his strength to become superior in all ways compared to God. While Grenouille’s character plays a non-religious role in the novel, his spiritual comparison to God not only confuses the …show more content…
As a follower of God, Terrier gave up the chance to start a family and he now admires the thoughts of if “he had not become a monk, but rather a normal citizen” (16) that his happy life holds the presence of a wife and child of his own. Terrier’s true desire for a life not fully devoted to God rises when baby Grenouille enters his care. The personal desire for his own happiness and family goes against the life God gave him, but Father Terrier still cherishes the idea of becoming a normal husband and …show more content…
Baldini’s first impression involves thanking God for everything in his life as well as emphasizing his shame in the human race for replacing God with other symbols and slowly losing interest in the church. As a very strong believer that in the future God plans to punish humanity for their lack of faith, Baldini fears the future holds humanity’s punishment and demise starting with how the Comet of 1681 acted as “an omen sent from God in warning” (58). With all of these strong, religious morals laying the foundation for Baldini’s existence, his faith ends when the taste of true success and power comes within his grasp. As his fame grew, Baldini didn’t once thank God nor visit him in Notre Dame. The first thought of God comes when Grenouille falls sick and Baldini actually thinks of God considers “pleading with the Mother of God for Grenouille’s recovery” (103) but he lets the idea slide. Baldini considering God’s help to maintain his current success through Grenouille’s survival shows his selfish desire for his own personal benefits with the help of God to justify his
Throughout the novel Perfume, the main character, Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, aspires to gain enough power to become greater than God. With the hope of gaining enough power to control the world, his selfish craving leads him to build up his strength to become superior in all ways compared to God. While Grenouille’s character plays a non-religious role in the novel, his spiritual comparison to God not only confuses the …show more content…
As a follower of God, Terrier gave up the chance to start a family and he now admires the thoughts of if “he had not become a monk, but rather a normal citizen” (16) that his happy life holds the presence of a wife and child of his own. Terrier’s true desire for a life not fully devoted to God rises when baby Grenouille enters his care. The personal desire for his own happiness and family goes against the life God gave him, but Father Terrier still cherishes the idea of becoming a normal husband and …show more content…
Baldini’s first impression involves thanking God for everything in his life as well as emphasizing his shame in the human race for replacing God with other symbols and slowly losing interest in the church. As a very strong believer that in the future God plans to punish humanity for their lack of faith, Baldini fears the future holds humanity’s punishment and demise starting with how the Comet of 1681 acted as “an omen sent from God in warning” (58). With all of these strong, religious morals laying the foundation for Baldini’s existence, his faith ends when the taste of true success and power comes within his grasp. As his fame grew, Baldini didn’t once thank God nor visit him in Notre Dame. The first thought of God comes when Grenouille falls sick and Baldini actually thinks of God considers “pleading with the Mother of God for Grenouille’s recovery” (103) but he lets the idea slide. Baldini considering God’s help to maintain his current success through Grenouille’s survival shows his selfish desire for his own personal benefits with the help of God to justify his