Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (ToK Presentation)

[Mandiloquence]

Hi everyone,

Our ToK presentations are in February and March, and I’d like to somehow include the novel Perfume: The Story of a Murderer in mine, and I know some of you here have read it. (There’s a plot summary [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perfume_(novel)#Plot_summary"]here[/url], but it really doesn’t do the novel justice.)

I was thinking about discussing how we treat (or how we should treat) individuals that do not fit into our society, how we define good and evil (since most people would see the main character’s actions as wrong while he likely views them much more leniently), how it was possible for the main character to escape his punishment, the effect the senses have on our emotions…and the list goes on.

The only advice our teacher gave us was to choose something controversial, but it seems that all the controversial topics have been extremely overdone. So, are there any topics from the list (or possibly some inspired by the book) that would make a good topic for my presentation?

Thanks in advance for any help/ comments.

[Vvi]

You suggestions are god, seems like you have a pretty good example there.

However, you should pick just one of those issues that you mentioned. How we treat/should treat individuals that don't conform to society's norms OR how we define good and evil OR the effect that senses have on our emotions. There just isn't enough time to analyse all of them,and your analysis would end up being incomplete.

The one about individuals that don't fit into society is the best, I think. It leads on to a discussion of prisons and the legal system, other methods of punishing individuals (like publicly ostracizing them), etc. A very interesting there is: how far can people NOT conform before we decide to restrict their actions and freedom? As an American, you could talk about the changes in Homeland Security policy after 9/11. Because of the actions of a few, the right of habeas corpus was taken away. Collective security or collective punishment for the American nation?

[Mandiloquence]

[quote name='Vvi' post='31821' date='Jan 1 2009, 06:54 AM']You suggestions are god, seems like you have a pretty good example there.

However, you should pick just one of those issues that you mentioned. How we treat/should treat individuals that don't conform to society's norms OR how we define good and evil OR the effect that senses have on our emotions. There just isn't enough time to analyse all of them,and your analysis would end up being incomplete.

The one about individuals that don't fit into society is the best, I think. It leads on to a discussion of prisons and the legal system, other methods of punishing individuals (like publicly ostracizing them), etc. A very interesting there is: how far can people NOT conform before we decide to restrict their actions and freedom? As an American, you could talk about the changes in Homeland Security policy after 9/11. Because of the actions of a few, the right of habeas corpus was taken away. Collective security or collective punishment for the American nation?[/quote]

I agree, I really like the issue about how we treat individuals that don't fit into society. You have some very good points about security now too (especially the fact that after travelling for a while it really isn't hard to bypass the system ). Thanks very much!

[avrila]

[quote name='Mandiloquence' post='31708' date='Dec 31 2008, 07:04 PM']Hi everyone,

I was thinking about discussing how we treat (or how we should treat) individuals that do not fit into our society, how we define good and evil (since most people would see the main character’s actions as wrong while he likely views them much more leniently), how it was possible for the main character to escape his punishment, the effect the senses have on our emotions…and the list goes on.[/quote]

Hi there,

Your topic remind me about one of the TOK presentations by my classmates. Well, they did on how to deal with people who did something wrong but it is not their intention to do so. How do these people be accepted. Basically, the topic is: " Should unintentionally murderer be sentenced to death." They talked about the reason of this group of people killing is not for the sake of kill, but it is more to problems with emotion, mental health and the environment. I can see that they elaborate more in ethics as it involves human behaviour.

and one of the example given was about Ted Bunny. I just know him when they presented it in the class. He was attractive, smart, and had a future in politics. He was also one of the most prolific serial killers in U.S. history. Ted Bundy screamed his innocence until his death in the electric chair. The reason of he killing people is because of his emotion problem and failed in first love. This turned out to be more serious.

Ted fell in love with his new girlfriend and tried hard to impress her to the point of grossly exaggerating his own accomplishments. He tried to gain her approval with a summer scholarship to Stamford that he won although his time there was less than impressive. By 1968 she decided Bundy lacked any real future and was not husband material. She ended the relationship and broke Bundy's heart and his obsession toward her haunted him for years.

Ted Bunny have a very broken heart that somehow doesn't allow him to think wisely.

So, should this kind of people be sentenced to death? That was the issue.

[Mandiloquence]

Avrila, that's a great example! I was actually just researching people like that, and I also came across a fictional character named Dexter who kills "bad" people, which I might use. I'm also going to discuss ethics for a while, but I was wondering what all of you thought the best format for this presentation would be? I'd [i]really[/i] like to have a debate, but we haven't had one the entire year, as the people in my class don't pay attention and aren't interested in [i]anything[/i]. I'd really rather not do a powerpoint presentation, as I'm sure most people would be incredibly bored. Do you think it'd be a good idea to take a few of my friends willing to discuss the subject to class with me and have kind of a "scripted" debate?

[lindieeluieee]

Hm, I've read the Perfume before and I think the problem with this book is that it may not fit in well with your topic of how we treat individuals that do not fit into our society as Grenouille never wanted to be treated ( starting from his infanthood, scaring the priest away, etc.) There was survival instinct, never really a yearning for society, no? He produced those murders and perfumes because he wanted to develop his sense of smell. He went into that cave of his for a few months or sth right, just because he couldn't smell humans there. But I guess there was a hint of him wanting to be loved there at the end...

But the evil vs. good topic would fit. Commiting murders on beautiful young girls and extracting their essence is definitely an evil deed. Was he born evil or just ignorant? How about the humans at the end, were they justified in eating up Grenouille because he smelled too good, or are people inately carnivorous beasts?

Edited January 2, 2009 by lindieeluieee

[Aether]

I looved this book, if I were you I would really worry about making a heck of an analysis about it!!! I think that the topics you have mentioned are not bad, they are predictable, but I think that even though they may be a little overdiscussed if you do a good ToK analysis, you will do okay. However, if you still want some other ideas, what about the constant reinforcement that we receive from the book that things as "innocence" and "pureness" are beautiful? Since pure, young, pretty and innocent women were supposed to possess the most enchanting perfumes. Is it giving us a subliminal message with that???