What Are The Seven Cardinal Sins

The cardinal sins are seven desires if sated will eventually lead to damnation and ruin to the person or group. The most notable examples are that of people who died soon after Grenouille’s interactions with them, however, death is not always the punishment, for instance, shame is also possible since to some this is a fate worse than death. In the novel many of the prominent characters show signs of one of the seven sins, these being: sloth, gluttony, envy, wrath, lust, pride, greed. France during the Age of Enlightenment was filled with corruption, vanity, poverty, and innovations in multiple fields, this environment created abysmal living conditions, a lack of classical morals or older morals, and progress at the same time. In the novel Perfume,

In the case of sloth, Druot is the embodiment of sloth due to his avoidance of doing most work and only wanting to indulge in his own personal pleasures. In the quote Druot leaves the majority of his responsibilities to Grenouille shortly after his arrival, “Druot made himself more and more scarce. He did his duty in Madame’s bed...stinking of sweat and semen, it was only to head off at once for the Quatre Dauphins (181).” The repetition of “scarce” can be interpreted as Druot over time leaving his duties to Grenouille, his lack of responsibility could parallel Louis XV’s ruling of France during the Age of Enlightenment. The stench that accompanies him after sex show how much of an effort this is for him, all to have money to go drinking. Druot paid for his sins by taking the place of Grenouille by being executed. Sloth corrupts what could’ve been a hard-working man, similarly wrath corrupts the peaceful town of Grasse. The people of Grasse are all on edge blaming anyone after hearing about the murders around the countryside and town. The people want a culprit immediately and accuse anyone who is unliked, such as the gypsies, “...were capable of anything...make dolls out of the skin and teeth of the hanged. Only gypsies could be involved in such perverse crime...no gypsies around at the

Grenouille is the embodiment of gluttony due to his obsession with scents, this is shown when he is imagining his palace where he just ordered his servants to get scent wine,”...Grenouille’s stomach cramped in tormented expectation...felt like a drunkard who is afraid that the shot of brandy...be denied him...He needed the stuff now, he needed it desperately, he was addicted, he would die on the spot if he did not get it (128).”. The simile “felt like a drunkard…” show how addicted he is to the odors, corrupting him further than it had before. The hyperbole of death shows his compulsive need, this foreshadows his depression over his lack of personal scent. Grenouille paid for his sins by feeling empty by the end of the novel after releasing the virgin’s perfume. Gluttony is similar to greed in the way that it’s a want for something, something they can never be sated. Grimal is the embodiment of greed as shown by the way he runs his tannery, by using cheap labor that can’t fight back so he can maximize his profits. This quote is after Grenouille was sold to Grimal, “His life was worth precisely as much work as he could accomplish and consisted only of whatever utility Grimal ascribed to it(31).” this describes workers as machines used by Grimal