BETWEEN FRAGRANCE AND MIASMA Cover Image

BETWEEN FRAGRANCE AND MIASMA
BETWEEN FRAGRANCE AND MIASMA

Author(s): Lucian-Nicu Rădășan
Subject(s): Language and Literature Studies, Literary Texts, Poetry, Studies of Literature, French Literature, Romanian Literature, Philology, Theory of Literature, Sociology of Literature
Published by: Editura Arhipelag XXI
Keywords: fragrance; miasma; identity; olfactory perception; narrative identity

Summary/Abstract: This paper examines the phenomenological role of smell in shaping selfhood and identity. Drawing on Mădălina Diaconu’s insights, it emphasizes three key aspects: individualization through body odor, communal belonging through shared olfactory codes, and temporal cohesion through memory. Literary examples from Eugen Barbu and Marcel Proust reveal how scents serve as mediators between self and other, balancing intimacy, estrangement, and cultural meaning.

  • Issue Year: 2025
  • Issue No: 42
  • Page Range: 280-287
  • Page Count: 8
  • Language: Romanian
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