Perfume, The Story of a Murderer
The international version of Patrick Suskind’s Perfume was translated by Alfred Knopf and published in 1986. The novel is originally written in German but is set in 18th century France, which allows Suskind to explore tensions between Englightenment philosophy and religious (as well as romantic) ideas about intuition, nature, and divinity. While set in Europe, the ideas presented in the work transcend cultures as characters wrestle with existential questions about how we achieve purpose and fulfillment in life, and the collateral damage that ensues.
This unit on Perfume is designed to focus on a holistic analysis and evaluation of the work. The activities focus on developing…
- an independent, personal response to the work.
- an interpretation of the ideas and issues raised throughout the work, with a focus on culture, science, religion, power, beliefs, values, and art.
- an understanding of the role context may play in appreciating a work.
- an appreciation for and evaluation of broader literary choices made in the work, including characterization, figurative language, symbolism, narrative perspective, imagery, and their effects.
- an understanding of the ways in which comprehending allusions can provide new insights and ideas into a work.
- an understanding of the role of secondary research in an English literature study (preparation work for the IB HL Essay and IB Extended Essay).
The resources in this unit include:
- An activity portfolio, divided into parts.
- Presentation slides to accompany the activity portfolio.
- A small group presentation project, organized by novel-related topics, that provides secondary research citations for students to engage with.
- An essay assessment.
Teaching Resources
Word/PPT
A Note about the Resources
Activity Portfolio
The activity portfolio has been divided into parts that correspond with the parts of the novel. There are several activities in the portfolio that instruct students to critically examine quotes and extracts from the work. For copyright reasons, the bulk of the quote/extract has been removed. Teachers can easily copy/paste the passages from the Kindle version of the novel; the first and last words of the quote/extract are provided as well as the cited page numbers.
Presentation Slides
These slides are designed to accompany the activity portfolio.
Perfume Group Presentation Assignment
Academic research and collaboration are at the heart of this assignment. This is an opportunity for students to work together through challenging secondary research on the novel as well as other relevant resources related to topics on The Enlightenment, The Sense of Smell and Perfume, Critical Receptions and Postmodern Literature, Chasity and Women, and French Revolutionary Unrest.
Perfume Essay Questions
This can be an in-class or out of class essay. There are 5 questions written in (the new) “Paper 2 style”, but the essay is designed as a single text analysis. A modified IB Paper 2 rubric (removing the line regarding compariative evaluation in criterion A) or a slightly modified IB HL essay rubric can be used to assess the essay (replacing “topic chosen” with “question chosen” for criterion A).