THE FOUL AND THE FRAGRANT ODOR AND THE FRENCH SOCIAL IMAGINATION

by Alain Corbin ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 1986

Social history as shaped by olfactive forces is the focus of Corbin's study of the period from about 1750 to 1880 in France, and particularly in Paris. At the start of the period, a revolution in scientific thinking brought about a change in public attitudes towards bad odors emanating from cesspools and garbage dumps. Previously, the stench associated with such places had been tolerated without serious complaint; however, when it became accepted medical doctrine that ""miasmas"" emitted from concentrations of putrifying animal matter were dangerous vectors of disease, people began to regard the associated odors with horror and revulsion. Wholesome fragrances of the meadow were not only more appealing but also more salubrious. Simultaneously, perfumes derived from animal musk went out of fashion and were replaced by more delicate floral scents. By the 19th century, the scientific preoccupation with public health had taken on a utilitarian economic and social emphasis. Legislators and city planners sought both to cleanse towns of sewage and to turn refuse to profit. From this viewpoint, cleanliness was a means to wealth, and the stench of the poor was an indication of moral and social degradation. The degree of refinement achieved by the bourgeoisie could be measured by their control of odors within the home and on the person. The unique feature of this study lies in Corbin's range of allusion: ""It is from the sense of smell. . .that we gain the fullest picture of the great dream of disinfection and of the new intolerances, of the implacable return of excrement, the cesspool epic, the sacralization of woman, the system of vegetable symbols. It permits a new interpretation of the rise of narcissism, the retreat into private space, the destruction of primitive comfort, the intolerance of promiscuity."" In reviewing his chosen subject, Corbin brings together numerous references from scientific, social and literary sources; indeed, occasionally the wealth of detail seems to overwhelm the argument. But taken in its entirety this study is a wide-ranging and original analysis of an important and little-studied phase of Western cultural sensibility.

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1986

ISBN: 0674311760

Page Count: -

Publisher: Harvard Univ. Press

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 1986

Categories: NONFICTION