Dialogue Definition History Intercultural Dialogue Theology Religion Essay

Dialogue Definition History Intercultural Dialogue Theology Religion Essay

‘Perfume: The Story of a Murderer’ Essay

Sà ¼skind allows similarities to be drawn between Grenouille and the Biblical figure, Satan, in order to contrast Grenouille from the mass of humanity – this corresponds with the theme of Existentialism in the novel. In terms of the Bible, Satan, or the Devil, was initially an angel that resided at God’s right-hand, who later conspired to become self-governing and consequently was condemned to Hell to be rejected and feared by humankind. Grenouille, by choice and his contempt for humankind, lived isolated in a mountain in Grasse. The narrator describes typical instances of reasoning for isolating one’s self in order to enhance the distinction of Grenouille’s reasoning, ‘We are familiar of people who seek out solitude: penitents, failures, saints or prophets†¦They do this to be nearer to God†¦ They act in the belief that they are living a life nearer to God’. Sà ¼skind creates this reference to God in conjunction with humanity, allowing the reader to register that the society in the novel is God-fearing, and hence inferior to the said creator. After establishing this, the narrator goes on to describe Grenouille’s reason for solitude. ‘Grenouille’s case was nothing of the sort. There was not the least notion of God in his head†¦he basked in his own existence and found it splendid’. This allows the reader to understand Grenouille’s reasoning is self-motivated and self-absorbed, this is unique. He isolated himself to be with himself and without purpose to God or humanity – this is ironic as the Bible states solitude is for God this similarly mimics the generally adopted attitude of the Biblical Devil, encapsulating qualities such as individualism and the ability to be self-governing. It is the mentioned qualities that are related to Existentialism – without out value or rule from God, Grenouille is self-determining, and hence transcends humanity and seperates himself from it, as humanity is on the contrary. The location setting during this time is relevant to Grenouille’s association to the Devil – The Devil is known to reside in the 7th layer of Hell; Grenouille resides isolated in the ‘godforsaken wilderness’ for 7 years ‘without creature comforts’ – the icy and inhumane atmosphere of both the Christian Hell and the mountain in Grasse can be likened to each other. These comparisons and contrast in the books allow the theme of existentialism to become apparent as it highlights Grenouille’s self-governing nature in his isolated habitat. This differentiates Grenouille as it appears this quality of preferring absolute solitude that only he possesses. His want for separation highlights his superiority to Humanity – this even foreshadows the immense power he will develop as the novel progresses due to his olfactory sense. Grenouille is determined by his desire, not by circumstance, whereas God determines humanity in the novel. Another example that likens him to Satan and God simultaneously is when Grenouille successfully concocts mimicry of human scent and becomes inadvertently accepted by the people. This completion of this task exposes his complete supremacy of humanity through creation, like God, and his still-existing contempt for humanity, like Satan. Grenouille celebrates, ‘a wicked feeling of triumph that set him quivering and excited him like an attack of lechery, and he had trouble keeping from spurting it like venom and spleen all over these people†¦his contempt for them was profound†¦because they were so dumb they stank’ (page 154). The use of the simile suggests his excitement is sinful – he intends to use his newfound power to conduct evil things. In this instance, Sà ¼skind is again pertaining Grenouille to Satan. The further use of such words as ‘venom’, ‘wicked’ and ‘spleen’ reiterate Grenouille’s evil feelings, em phasizing how he detests humanity, again a mimicking quality of the Devil. In this quote, Sà ¼skind suggests possessing a scent is to be stupid, and furthermore to be a part of humanity – Grenouille realizes that he possesses neither of these things, emphasizing their polarity, as this deems him superior to humankind. As it is stated in the bible, â€Å"And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light†, 2 Corinthians 11:14, this statement pertains to Satan having the ability to disguise himself and fool humankind. Similarly, Grenouille does exactly this by mimicking the human scent and gaining their acceptance in order to carry out his evil intentions. Through allusions to the Biblical figure of the Devil, Sà ¼skind compares Grenouille to him, allowing the Grenouille to have similar associations to the Devil and hence emphasizing his differentiation from humanity through contempt and rejection. In contrast, Sà ¼skind further alters the Grenouille’s discrimination from humanity as the characters gains more power through the sovereignty of scent, allowing him to be more closely compared to God. The novel highlights that scent is sovereign, ruling above all other senses and determining the quality of ones life, â€Å"He who ruled scent ruled the hearts of men†. Scent is comparable to Religion in the novel – Grenouille is the only character who recognizes its sovereignty. 1 Peter 5:8 ESV / 11 helpful votes Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. â€Å"And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.† 2 Corinthians 11:14 â€Å"There was only one thing the perfume could not do. It could not turn him into a person who could love and be loved like everyone else. So, to hell with it he thought. To hell with the world. With the perfume. With himself†

William Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet Infatuation or Love

The play Romeo and Juliet has been considered to be the most touching love story of all time, but when you look closer and past all the initial â€Å"fantasies†, you see the truth. Romeo and Juliet believed that they were in love because of the mere idea of it, however based on their actions and the short amount of time that the stages of their â€Å"love† progressed in, it soon became clear that what they were actually feeling was infatuation. Romeo, you see, may have possibly convinced himself that he loved Juliet. We all know that our friends do influence our decisions, and Benvolio’s constant nagging about finding a new love may have taken its toll on Romeo. â€Å"Be ruled of me, forget to think of her.† (Act 1, Scene 1. Pg. 25.) â€Å"Go thither; and, with unattained eye, Compare her face with some I shall show, And I will make thee think thy swan a crow.† (Act 1, Scene 2. Pg. 35.) Not only the day before, had Romeo been in love with another girl, Rosaline. We can clearly see this when Romeo says: â€Å"Out of her favour, where I am in love.† (Act 1, Scene 1. Pg. 21.) â€Å"In sadness, cousin. I do love a woman.† (Act 1, Scene 1. Pg. 23.) However, when Romeo attends a ball for simply the fact that Rosaline would have been there, he sees Juliet and instantly ‘falls in love’. Sure, we have all heard of the popular saying â€Å"It was love at first sight†, but how much of us really believe it? For how many of us does this actually apply to? Chances of ‘love at first sight’ is zero to none. And Romeo andShow MoreRelatedTrue Love an Teenage Infatuation765 Words   |  3 PagesTrue love and teenage infatuation are two completely different views of love. True love is a decision, a commitment to ones partner to make them happy, even if it comes with sacrifices. Even if one feels like they do not love the other person, staying together is what makes true love everlasting. On the other hand, teenage infatuation is based on emotional feelings alone. 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This scene displays how the love of both Romeo and Juliet from different parties confronts divided loyalties for them, as they either have to be loyal Read MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Romeo And Juliet1374 Words   |  6 Pagesresponse in relation to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet explores the quote â€Å"unbridled passion is to blame for the deaths of the young lovers† throughout the play/The quote â€Å"unbridled passion is to blame for the deaths of the young lovers† is lengthily explored throughout William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. The composer achieves this through the themes of individual versus society, youth and naivety, and love and hate. The theme of love and hate plays a pivotalRead MoreInfatuation In Romeo And Juliet804 Words   |  4 PagesInfatuation Lauren and Ashton are in love. They are extremely affectionate, obsessed, and sometimes don’t understand each other. 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In William Shakespeare’sRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Romeo And Juliet1378 Words   |  6 Pagesthe late 14th century, William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet has copious imagery, displaying the relationship between cruelty and affection in the play. Multiple times, Romeo and Juliet’s seemingly inc orruptible love for each other is conflicted by violent acts occurring around them. In their dialogue, saturated with light and dark imagery, brutality is shown dominating Romeo and Juliet’s relationship. The sensory images provide a very sharp contrast in the play. Shakespeare’s use of light and darkRead MoreThe Responsiblity the Adults Hold1216 Words   |  5 Pagesportrayed in William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet where two young star crossed lovers die for the sake of each other’s love. While the failure of an adult’s role to their children’s lives seems inconceivable, the Capulets, the Nurse, and Friar Lawrence all fail and bear responsibility in the demise of Romeo and Juliet. 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Social And Religious Changes Influenced By The Black Death

Did Major Social/Religious Changes Influenced by the Black Death? In the Later Middle Ages, from 1300 to 1450, a plague is seen spreading and killing mass amounts of people in Europe, this plague would later be named the Black Death. Starting in China in 1331 and then spreading to Europe by cargo ships in 1347. During the Later Middle Ages the climate also changed, dropping the temperature, killing crops, and freezing water supplies. During this period there were also multiple crisis that began to pop up, and not many can be attributed to the Black Death. One must take each event and look for causation case-by-case rather they labeling all with the same brush stroke. Digging a little deeper, it is seen that the peasants’ revolts were in fact influenced by the Black Death. In â€Å"A History of Western Society† it is made clear that people were weak and sickly even before the Black Death infected them. â€Å"People were already weakened by famine, standards of per sonal hygiene remained frightfully low, and the urban populace was crowded together. Fleas and body lice were universal affections.† (History, 326). When people are dying from starvation, sickness and the Black Death they tend to fight to remain alive. It is known that a number of peasants’ revolts took place and one of these is recorded by an unknown monk in 1381. The source document called â€Å"The Anonimalle Chronicle: The English Peasants’ Revolt†. It delves into the issues around labor shortage because ofShow MoreRelatedSocial And Religious Changes Influenced By The Black Death848 Words   |  4 Pages Were Major Social/Religious Changes Influenced by the Black Death? 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