The depiction of women

 In the novel Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind the female characters are presented mostly as passive and do not take an active part in the action. 

The example of Laure Richis illustrates the depiction of women in the novel reduced to appearances or scent. Even her own father Antonie Richis is fascinated by her beauty, while her personality is hardly mentioned:"[...] Even Richis would catch himself looking at his daughter for indefinite periods of time, [...] forgetting the rest of the world, even his business [...], melting away in contemplation of this magnificent girl [...]" (Part 3, 45%). 

Laure does not speak for herself throughout the novel, although she is of central importance for Jean-Baptiste Grenouille and the course of the plot. Instead, she is directed by her father Antonie Richis. He determines her life: "First he wanted to find a husband for his daughter. And not the first comer, either, but a man of rank. There was a baron de Bouyon [...]" (Part 3,43%), and Laure lets this happen without any protest that we kno...