Age of Reason vs Romanticism

During the 18th century in which Perfume is set, Europe, France in particular was going through a
period of ideological change. Previous to this, Europe was dominated by superstition and belief in
the supernatural as the continent essentially lived their lives as a transitional period before an
eternal afterlife. New ideas were rarely praised and there was very little questioning of the way
things were. Yet during this period of ideological change, the church was still quite present but there
was more emphasis on understanding what is presented in front of us (potentially by god), the
natural world. Science began to prosper as there was a widespread desire to know how things work
and why they occur. This was foundered on the need for evidence and proof rather than blind belief
of unproven ideas just because. Whilst logic and reason played a great role in peoples new way of
thinking, it was not through a completely clear lens. There was still an aura of belief in the
supernatural that became particularly prominent in the mid to late 18th century. There was almost a
fusion between reason and the belief in essentially magic. This is particularly prominent in Perfume
when Grenouille wafts the perfume at his execution and he is treated like a supernatural being, yet
the logic is he created something that smelt magnificent enough to insight their behaviour. Paris was
the largest city in Europe during the period in which Perfume was set and it was also the city that
was most prominent in this transition, especially preceding the French Revolution. The conflict
between these two ways of thinking is extremely prominent throughout the novel which makes
France the perfect setting for the events to take place in.
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Ambition (more doing what one persues in this life. Grenouille achieves it and has no more
to do in life)

Physical Features
Paris during the 18th century was the largest city in Europe. There was a great amount of trade
occurring with an enormous lack of infrastructure. Those in the city were usually poor
(approximately 85% of the population) and those in the country with farms prospered as they had
consistent access to food. Due to being poor and the lack of actually mechanisms to clean, everyone
was dirty, rich and poor. What this means is that 18th century Paris was a city rich with scents of all
kinds, perfect for the story of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille. It is also perfect because France contained
two conflicting places that coincide perfectly with the story, the potent stench of Paris and the
blossoming smell of the perfume capital of the world Grasse. The country itself allows for a perfect
platform for the story to be created without having to invent a fictional place. This is what allows for
the tease of the fact that this story could be historically accurate.