Perfume LitChart

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Perfume
decadence of all the senses) and Jonathan Grimwood's The Last
INTR
INTRODUCTION
ODUCTION Banquet (in which the protagonist is fascinated by taste). Tom
Robbins' Jitterbug Perfume is a considerably more lighthearted
BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF PATRICK SÜSKIND
exploration of the quest to create the perfect perfume. Perfume
Süskind was born in 1949 to a journalist father and a sports also shares a nearly identical first line with the novella "Michael
trainer mother. He attended school in a small Bavarian village Kohlhaas" by Heinrich von Kleist, published as a complete work
and went on to study medieval and modern history at the in 1810.
University of Munich and in Aix-en-Provence, France, but he
never graduated. He later moved to Paris and was supported
KEY FACTS
financially by his parents. There he wrote short stories and
screenplays, none of which were published. In 1981, Süskind • Full Title: Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (originally
experienced a breakthrough with his play The Double Bass, published in German as Das Parfum)
which was performed more than 500 times in the 1984-85 • When Written: mid-1980s
theatrical season. Perfume is his best-known novel and spent • Where Written: Germany
nine years on a prominent German magazine's bestseller list.
• When Published: 1985
Very little is known about Süskind, as he lives as a recluse in
Munich and Montolieu, France and doesn't grant interviews or • Literary Period: Contemporary German Literature, Magic
allow photos. While he's won several literary awards, he's Realism
rejected most of them. • Genre: Horror/Suspense, Magical Realism, Black Comedy
• Setting: 18th Century France (Paris, Montpellier, Grasse, the
HISTORICAL CONTEXT volcano Plomb du Cantal)
Perfume takes place during the Enlightenment in France, which • Climax: Grenouille's execution, when his perfume incites an
orgy among the many spectators and causes the local
is most commonly dated from 1715, when Louis XIV, died to
government to drop the charges against him.
1789, the year the French Revolution began. The
Enlightenment saw a boom in philosophical, political, and • Antagonist: Also Grenouille, arguably
scientific study, which in turn influenced the governing and • Point of View: Third person omniscient
religious institutions and began to lay the groundwork to
change them into the types of institutions we'd recognize as EXTRA CREDIT
modern. It also saw the rise of the "public sphere," which A Crooked Pinkie. According to a 1986 interview with the New
allowed for greater exchange of ideas and opened every topic York Times, Süskind slipped a family joke that his crooked
up for criticism. This rise of the public sphere is also associated pinkie finger is the reason he didn't become a concert pianist
with the rise of capitalism. Several characters in the novel are into an autobiographical sketch. This joke was taken seriously
made very uncomfortable by these changes, most notably and several countries' book jackets for Perfume now indicate
Baldini. He sees the new possibility for someone (like Pélissier) that Süskind studied at a musical conservatory.
to move up the social ladder and become financially successful
as a dangerous one, and is uncomfortable with the fact that due
Musical Inspiration. Perfume has provided inspiration and
to the rise of humanism and growing interest in science, even
source material for a number of bands and musicians including
women are reading now. Father Terrier is bothered by the
Nirvana, Marilyn Manson, Air, and Panic! at the Disco.
philosophers who question religion, and laments that nothing
can simply be right or wrong anymore. These beliefs and fears
point to the anxieties of the time and help flesh out the systems
that keep Grenouille alive as an infant, enslaved as a teenager,
PL
PLO
OT SUMMARY
and allow him a degree of freedom as a young man once he Grenouille is born in a market in Paris in July of 1738 to a
acquires his journeyman's papers. young fishmonger. Due to the heat and the stench, Grenouille’s
mother passes out immediately after his birth, drawing a crowd.
RELATED LITERARY WORKS When she comes to she abandons her baby, but a crowd
discovers the baby and his mother is arrested, tried, and
There are a number of novels that explore the relationship
beheaded. Grenouille goes through a series of wet nurses, all of
between sense and obsession, including Joris-Karl Huysman's
whom accuse him of being especially greedy for milk. His final
Against Nature (which is largely concerned with smell and
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wet nurse is Jeanne Bussie. Several weeks after she takes Grimal. Grimal gets very drunk as he celebrates what he thinks
custody of him, she returns him to Father Terrier at the cloister is the best deal of his life. While drunk, he slips and drowns in
of Saint Merri, stating that Grenouille is possessed by the devil the Seine. Grenouille sets to work creating a number of
because he doesn't have a smell. Father Terrier attempts to pay fantastic perfumes for Baldini, and Baldini's business grows.
Jeanne Bussie more money to keep the baby but eventually Baldini teaches Grenouille how to use the alembic to distill
gives in. When the sleeping Grenouille wakes and sniffs the air herbs and spices, and once Grenouille has a grasp of the
in a menacing way, Father Terrier is terrified and takes process, Baldini allows him to distill other items. When
Grenouille straight to Madame Gaillard, who runs a home for Grenouille fails to create the scent of doorknobs or water using
orphans. the distilling process, he falls deathly ill and is diagnosed with
Madame Gaillard was hit across the face with a poker as a child syphilitic measles. Baldini is distraught, as he is planning to
and as such, has no sense of smell and doesn't experience expand his business and needs Grenouille to do so. Finally,
emotions. She doesn't realize that Grenouille doesn't smell and Grenouille asks Baldini about other methods of extracting
doesn't expect him to express emotion, which suits Grenouille scent. Baldini explains that there are several other methods, all
well. The other children attempt to murder him but eventually superior to distillation, and the town of Grasse is the capital of
give up. As he grows, Grenouille catalogues every scent he these processes. Grenouille then miraculously recovers.
comes across. He finds language inadequate to express his Three years later, Baldini has risen to international fame with
olfactory world, and never fully grasps concepts such as his perfumes and he grants Grenouille journeyman's papers
morality or goodness. At age eight, the cloister stops paying for and allows him to leave his service. He makes Grenouille
Grenouille's keep, and Madame Gaillard sells him to a tanner promise to never recreate his perfumes and never to return to
named Grimal. Paris, which Grenouille agrees to. That night, Baldini's shop,
Grimal treats Grenouille like an animal and locks him in a closet which sits on a bridge, falls into the river, drowning Baldini and
at night to sleep. Grenouille contracts anthrax and survives the his wife.
ordeal, which turns him into a valuable worker as he cannot be As Grenouille travels towards Grasse, he finds the purer air
reinfected, and he's given a bed and a blanket. At 12, Grimal outside the city very welcoming, and grows more and more
begins to let Grenouille have an evening per week to himself. sensitive to the scent of humans. He begins to seek solitude,
Grenouille takes the opportunity to traverse Paris and track traveling only at night, and eventually finds himself at a volcano
scents, and feels free for the first time. in the most remote region of France. When Grenouille realizes
One night, while the city of Paris is setting off fireworks in he's completely alone, he decides to stay. He finds a cave big
honor of the king, Grenouille catches a whiff of scent that he enough to sleep in and a small stream of water, and stays there
finds intoxicating. He tracks it to a young teenage girl in the rue for seven years. He spends his days daydreaming in his inner
de Marais, sitting in a courtyard pitting plums. He strangles her, palace, sowing pleasant scents during the day and sipping the
rips her dress off, and lies with her until her scent is gone. Later scent of the girl from the rue de Marais at night. One day,
that night as he lies in bed, he begins to catalogue his scents Grenouille suffers a terrible dream in which an oppressive fog
into good and bad. of Grenouille's personal smell attempts to suffocate him, and
he realizes he has no scent. Disturbed and terrified, Grenouille
Giuseppe Baldini is an elderly perfumer whose business is
sets about attempting to ascertain if he indeed has no scent. He
going downhill. He's been tasked with impregnating skins for a
discovers that he is scentless and leaves the mountain.
count with the perfume Amor and Psyche by his rival, Pélissier,
and rather than purchase the perfume, he wishes to copy it. Grenouille encounters humanity in a small village, where his
After two hours of trying to ascertain the different ingredients, story that he was abducted by robbers and kept in a cave is
Baldini gives up and decides to sell his business and move to brought to the attention of the marquis de la Taillade-
Messina. Then he hears the servant's bell ring, and when he Espinasse, who developed the theory of fluidium vitale/letale.
answers the door, it's Grenouille delivering the skins from The theory states that gases in the earth are poisonous, while
Grimal. This is the first time that Grenouille has been in a gases from "earth removed" regions are healing. Grenouille
perfumer's shop, and he asks Baldini to take him on as an proves a perfect subject for study, and the marquis makes
apprentice. When Baldini scoffs at the idea, Grenouille says Grenouille a subject of a lecture he gives and also has
that he can create Amor and Psyche. Baldini grants Grenouille Grenouille eat purifying foods for a week and gives him new
the opportunity to mix the perfume. Grenouille's technique is clothes. Grenouille finds that he looks extremely normal. One
offensive to Baldini, but when Baldini finally yells for Grenouille day, when the marquis attempts to dust him with violet
to stop, he smells Amor and Psyche. Baldini, awestruck, allows perfume, Grenouille stages a fainting spell and tells the marquis
Grenouille to make the perfume better and as Grenouille that the perfume is from the earth and poisonous. The marquis
leaves, Baldini says he'll think about taking on Grenouille. contacts a local perfumer and Grenouille is allowed to use his
shop to create a new perfume. The perfume Grenouille creates
The next day Baldini purchases Grenouille's service from

is a faux human scent. He decides to test it in the town and Several days later, Grenouille is arrested. The police find the
finds that the townsfolk regard him as a normal person now hair and dresses of the 25 victims in Grenouille's cabin and
that he smells. Grenouille feels like a genius. display this evidence in the church square. His trial proceeds
The marquis' next lecture is a sensation, as Grenouille's quickly and he's sentenced to death. The parade grounds are
perfume garners sympathy from the audience. A few weeks prepared for the execution and citizens prepare as though for a
later, Grenouille departs the city and heads for Grasse. While holiday. On the day of the execution, the grounds fill with
wandering the city, he comes across a scent very much like the thousands of people, and Grenouille is brought in a carriage to
girl from the rue de Marais, and Grenouille decides he must protect him from a mob. As Grenouille exits the carriage, he is
possess this scent. He finds employment under Madame wearing the perfume he made from the 25 virgins he
Arnulfi and her journeyman Druot, and in their shop he learns murdered, and the crowd is gripped with the thought that
how to obtain scent from flowers using animal fat. Grenouille cannot possibly be a murderer. The effect of
Grenouille's perfume then incites an orgy. Grenouille feels like
Over the winter, Grenouille begins to experiment and creates
a god, but soon his glee descends into disgust for humans and
several human-scented perfumes for himself. He's also able to
he begins to faint. Antoine Richis runs to Grenouille. When
successfully create a perfume of a brass doorknob. He moves
Grenouille wakes later, he finds himself in Laure's bed and
on to animals, but finds that he must kill them before he can be
Richis asks Grenouille to be his son. The verdict has been
successful. Finally he moves onto human subjects by placing
overturned, and Druot is arrested and executed for the
small pieces of oily cloth in public places, which soak up human
murders.
scent and creates the perfume of people.
Grenouille travels back to Paris, thinking that he wants to die.
Dreaming one night about the scent of the girl in the garden,
When he arrives after midnight, he walks to the Cimetière des
Grenouille suffers the unpleasant thought that even if he does
Innocents, where vagabonds are gathered. He joins the group
possess her scent, it will eventually run out. He decides that to
and then pours his last bottle of perfume over himself. The
make it go further, he needs to create a mixed perfume rather
group converges on Grenouille and attacks him, tearing his
than use her scent in its concentrated form. That spring and
body to bits and eating it. When Grenouille is gone, the group is
summer, 24 beautiful young girls in Grasse are systematically
embarrassed, but everyone feels like they have finally done
murdered by a blow to the head, and are then stripped of their
something out of love.
clothes and have their hair shaved off. Terror erupts in the
town, especially when it's discovered that the girls are virgins.
The murders only stop after the bishop in the town CHARA
CHARACTERS
CTERS
excommunicates the unknown murderer.
Antoine Richis, a widower and the second consul of Grasse, MAJOR CHARACTERS
doesn't trust that this peace will last, and doesn't believe the Jean-Baptise Grenouille – The protagonist of the novel.
rumors that the murderer has moved on to the nearby Grenouille possesses an absurdly keen sense of smell, no smell
Grenoble. His daughter, Laure, has just turned 16 and is of his own, and an intense hatred of humanity, which combined
immensely beautiful. After a nightmare in which Laure is leads him on a journey to create the perfect scent that will
murdered by the serial murderer, Richis decides that she must allow him to control humanity. He's likened to a tick as he's
be a target still for the murderer. He immediately makes plans small, inconspicuous, and sucks the lifeblood out of his victims.
to smuggle Laure out of the city and marry her off, as then she'd He realizes his purpose in life when he discovers the
be protected by having lost her virginity. intoxicating scent of the girl from the rue de Marais, and vows
Richis and Laure leave early that morning. Grenouille, to become a master perfumer. He sees nothing wrong or
meanwhile, had been preparing to take Laure's scent that night. strange about committing murder; he only desires to possess
But when he steps outside, he finds he cannot smell her and the scent of his victims. He learns to create perfumes
panics. Druot in passing mentions that Richis and Laure left for conventionally under Baldini, spends seven years wallowing in
Grenoble. his hatred of humanity in a remote volcano and his inner
Grenouille packs his supplies and tracks the runaways. When palace, and finally sets about creating a perfume that will allow
he reaches La Napoule, he comes to an inn where Richis and him complete power over people in the town of Grasse, created
Laure are sleeping. He convinces the innkeeper to let him sleep from the scents of 25 murdered virgins. Grenouille believes
in the barn. That night, Grenouille creeps in through Laure's that having this power will make him happy, but when he
window, clubs her, and wraps her in his oil-drenched cloth to deploys his perfume, he finds his hatred for humanity
steal her scent. He sits and watches her for hours. At daybreak, overshadows any pleasure he experiences from his success. He
he unrolls her, packages up the cloth with her scented oil, and then uses his perfume to commit suicide in Paris, destroying
leaves. Antoine Richis discovers her body later that morning. both himself and his powerful perfume in the process.

Giuseppe Baldini – The perfumer who takes Grenouille on as eventually second husband, Grenouille's supervisor. He thinks
an apprentice; Chénier's employer. Baldini is very concerned highly of himself and as such Grenouille allows him to think that
with upholding and maintaining order, both in the larger world he's a superior perfumer to Grenouille. He stinks often of sex
and in the smaller world of creating perfumes in his workshop. and enjoys a great deal of wine, leaving most of the work to
He's described as kind, although often to his own detriment, Grenouille. He's arrested and executed in place of Grenouille
but also treats Grenouille as little more than a fountain of for the murders of the 24 village girls and Laure Richie.
brilliant ideas for perfumes. He uses Grenouille to save himself Father TTerrier
errier – The monk who handles Grenouille's return to
from the has-been perfumer he'd become and rises to the local cloister by Jeanne Bussie. He despises technical
European fame with Grenouille's formulas, though Grenouille details and difficulties and is in charge of administering the
isn't allowed to take credit for his work. When Baldini exhausts cloister's charities. He's of the belief that children cannot be
his uses for Grenouille, he grants Grenouille journeyman's possessed by the devil due to their undeveloped souls, but
papers and sends him on his way. Baldini dies that night when admits that there's something strange about the infant
his business, which sits on a bridge crossing the Seine, collapses Grenouille.
into the river.
Antoine Richis – The father of Laure Richis. He is a high-
Marquis de la T Taillade-
aillade- Espinasse – A marquis who retired ranking official in Grasse and a learned, modern man. He
from court life at Versailles to pursue scientific discovery. His catches on to the impetus behind Grenouille's serial murders of
pet project is the idea of fluidum vitale, or the idea that the the girls in Grasse and realizes Laure must also be a target.
earth contains poisonous gases that can do damage, while Though he's heartbroken at her death, when he smells the
places and items that are "earth-removed" (places with high perfume Grenouille creates with her scent, he is instrumental
elevation, or birds) are healing. Grenouille provides the perfect in saving Grenouille from execution and asks to adopt him as a
example of his theory in action when he comes to the marquis' son.
attention after spending seven years in a cave. The marquis
uses Grenouille to support his theory, gives several lectures,
MINOR CHARACTERS
and pays Grenouille for being a research subject. The marquis
eventually decides to climb the highest mountain in the Girl from the rue de Mar
Marais
ais – The victim of Grenouille's first
Pyrenees, from which he will return a man aged 20 thanks to murder. She is a young teenager, very beautiful, and has a scent
the healing powers of the fluidum vitale at the high elevation, that Grenouille finds superior to all others.
but he never returns. Madame Arnulfi – Grenouille's final employer; Druot's lover. A
Laure Richis – The young daughter of Antoine Richis and widow who runs a perfumer's workshop in Grasse, she's
Grenouille's final target. She's very beautiful, with red hair and described as relatively prosperous and possessing sound
pale skin, and Grenouille finds her scent to be even more business sense. Even after she marries Druot, she retains her
intoxicating than that of the girl from the rue de Marais. first husband's last name and control of her business and its
Though her father tries to save her by arranging her marriage, finances.
Grenouille murders her before the marriage can take place and Jeanne Bussie – Grenouille's final wet nurse who is paid by the
creates his most intoxicating perfume with her scent. local parish to care for him. After a few weeks of nursing him
Monsieur Grimal – The tanner whom Madame Gaillard sells she returns him to Father Terrier, insisting that since
Grenouille to as cheap labor. Grimal treats Grenouille little Grenouille has no scent, he's possessed by the devil.
better than a domestic animal, valued only for how much work Grenouille
Grenouille's's Mother – A Parisian fishmonger. Grenouille is her
he's capable of completing. Grenouille remains in his service fifth baby and the only one to live more than a few minutes. She
from age eight to fifteen, and after Grenouille is released from is described as young, pretty, and relatively healthy. When she
his service, Grimal drowns in the Seine. faints following Grenouille's birth and Grenouille is discovered,
Madame Gaillard – The woman who cares for Grenouille after she's tried, found guilty of multiple infanticide, and is
he was rejected by Jeanne Bussie. She runs a home for orphan decapitated.
children. Madame Gaillard's father hit her in the face as a child, Chénier – Baldini's shop assistant. While not a young man,
and as such she has no sense of smell and doesn't experience Chénier is young enough to entertain hopes of inheriting
much range of emotion. As such, she isn't aware that Grenouille Baldini's perfume business following Baldini's death.
doesn't smell. Her primary concern is making sure she can
Doctor Procope – The very expensive doctor whom Baldini
afford to die at home, but she suffers the unfortunate fate of
calls when Grenouille falls ill.
dying in a public hospital after losing her fortune during the
French Revolution. Pélissier – Baldini's rival, a young perfumer who is immensely
talented and innovative. Many of his clients and customers
Dominique Druot – Madame Arnulfi's first journeyman and
came from Baldini in favor of Pélissier's more modern scents.

He's only ever mentioned by name and never appears in himself, tie the passage from child to adult to the development
person. of an adult scent. In Grenouille's case, then, he only passes the
Gabriel T
Tagliasco
agliasco – Captain of the Guard in Grasse. threshold from boy to man when he manufactures and then
wears a faux human perfume. However, Grenouille finds
Monsieur P
Papon
apon – The executioner of Grasse.
himself attracted specifically to the scents from lovely girls
La F
Fosse
osse – The police officer who turns the infant Grenouille undergoing puberty. While it's indicated that their intoxicating
over to the cloister of Saint-Merri. scents would continue to develop had the girls lived to
Runel – A perfumer in Montpellier. Grenouille uses his shop to adulthood, it's this "special time" of development that becomes
create his first human-scent perfume. the focus of the novel. Because Grenouille uses the scents of
these girls to manufacture his most intoxicating and powerful
perfume, Grenouille essentially comes of age and becomes the
THEMES “god” he dreamt of being at the expense of, and thanks to, the
25 nearly-adult girls he murders. However, this acquisition of
In LitCharts literature guides, each theme gets its own color- power comes at a price to Grenouille as well as the families of
coded icon. These icons make it easy to track where the themes the girls, as Grenouille finds his misanthropy is still far too
occur most prominently throughout the work. If you don't have intense for him to enjoy his power. Rather than enslave the
a color printer, you can still use the icons to track themes in world, Grenouille opts to take himself out of it using his newly
black and white. created and superhuman—adult—power.
GROWING UP AND BECOMING HUMAN POWER AND CONTROL

Perfume takes the form of a bildungsroman, or a Perfume is, at its heart, a novel about power. It
coming of age novel. The reader follows Grenouille explores how people obtain power, and then how
from birth to death through the four parts of the they keep it or fail at doing so. A combination of
novel, and experiences with him how he learns about the world, religion and bureaucracy is introduced as the first avenue
begins to conceptualize his place in it, and struggles with his through which an individual can enjoy power. It's this
identity. combination that made sure that the infant Grenouille stayed
Children are described throughout the book as sub-human for alive in the first place. Later in Grasse, this same combination
a variety of reasons. Religious teachings, according to the novel, attempts to exert its power and do away with Grenouille, the
state that infants are completely worthless before their serial murderer of young girls. It should be noted that in the
baptism, and even after baptism don't understand sin. Baldini case of the excommunication of the murderer in Grasse,
the perfumer also insists that children are simply sub-human Grenouille uses the people's faith in religion to his advantage.
despots, always demanding things. With these starting points, By ceasing his experiments after the excommunication, he lulls
coming of age for all children entails the process of becoming the residents of Grasse into a false sense of security.
not just adult but truly human. This is complicated in the case of While religion and government play powerful roles in the novel,
Grenouille, however, for even though he was baptized, he never the novel's logic and Grenouille himself asserts that the true
develops any sense of morality. Thus, Grenouille is never seen ruler of a population is not the king or God, but scent, and more
to be fully human in the eyes of church officials with whom he specifically the person who possesses the most intoxicating
comes in contact later. scent. Scent, as the "brother of breath," is inescapable as long as
While Grenouille is obviously less than human emotionally and one keeps breathing. With this guiding logic, Grenouille
morally, the individuals who care for him, especially as a child presents the idea that while Laure is certainly a beautiful girl,
and a teenager, are similarly cruel to him and others. the power over both men and women that she would enjoy
Essentially, by being treated like he's less than human, later in life would come primarily from her intoxicating scent.
Grenouille learns to treat others the same way. This poor This realization about how scent functions in relationship to
treatment, along with his eventual realization that he's actually power further supports Grenouille's belief that he's superior to
repulsed by people, not the city of Paris itself, is an important those around him, as he believes he's the only one who is aware
turning point in Grenouille's development and results his of this relationship, or indeed the only one who can even detect
intense misanthropy (hatred of other people). Once he realizes differences in individuals' odors. Thus, when this knowledge is
that he truly hates humanity, he can begin the process of self- paired with his ability to create sublime perfumes, it allows him
discovery and plot his takeover of the people he hates so much to exert control over others without their conscious
(and in the process allow himself to grow ever more detached knowledge.
from his own “humanity”). The massive extent of Grenouille's power, which is still a
Several characters, including Father Terrier and Grenouille mystery to those around him, comes to life at his execution.

Using his sublime perfume, Grenouille is able to turn himself true evil genius being discovered.
truly into a god, incite an orgy that leads to his release, and, It should be noted that at the time the novel takes place, French
incredibly, make Antoine Richis offer to adopt Grenouille as a society itself was undergoing a similar struggle between new
son. However, Grenouille cannot experience pleasure or ways of thinking and old institutions of power and structure.
satisfaction when he achieves this goal and finds himself in Both Father Terrier and Baldini discuss this change explicitly. In
possession of absolute power. Rather, he uses his power of this way, many characters besides Grenouille are essentially
scent to commit suicide in Paris. In death, and in this method of grappling with the same issues that he is. While their struggles
death in particular, Grenouille simultaneously creates an are very different from Grenouille's micro struggles of scent
intense show of power and destroys both himself and his tool and misanthropy, every character in the novel is attempting to
or method for obtaining this power. either keep up with the times and create progress, or preserve
old ideas and structures in favor of convention.
CREATIVE GENIUS VS. CONVENTION
AND ASSIMILATION UPWARD MOBILITY AND SOCIAL
Grenouille is described as a wunderkind (a young MOVEMENT
prodigy), a genius who knows instinctively how to Over the course of the novel, Grenouille moves
mix fabulous scents. As such, he doesn't require instruction in steadily up the social ladder from the lowest depths
how to make a good perfume; rather, he only needs to learn the of society to a journeyman and finally, in his eyes, a god.
rules and conventions of perfumers and of people in general in Everyone else with whom Grenouille comes in contact is
order to effectively function in the world and achieve his goals. similarly dreaming or actively working on achieving similar
Essentially, Grenouille's creative genius is what sets him apart types of upward movement, making this type of movement a
from other people, but it's his willingness to adapt to rules and central concern to the novel. Grenouille realizes early on the
learn conventions that allows him to function effectively importance of attaining some degree of social status, as he was
enough in the world to not be written off as a monster. born the lowest of the low. By virtue of his birth and the rules
Throughout Grenouille's childhood and adolescence, he and regulations of the time, even reaching the success of
struggles to integrate with society in part because others find becoming an apprentice after being born an orphan was a great
him repulsive, but also because he's so caught up in his own achievement.
olfactory world that he sees no point in being a real part of With the status afforded to Grenouille when he obtains his
society. In this way, Grenouille begins life by differentiating journeyman's papers, he's able to accomplish his goals without
himself from those around him, even before he's known by raising suspicion. However, it's important to note that
others to be a genius. He, as well as the other children in the Grenouille's appetite for advancement as made official by the
orphanage where he’s raised, knows he's different, and he government has a ceiling. Since his goals are purely personal,
simultaneously ostracizes himself and is ostracized by others there's no need for him to climb the social ladder any higher, as
because of his weirdness. This difference, born of his genius, is his goals aren't monetary or fame-based. This ties into
what leads Grenouille to an intense hatred of humanity. His Grenouille's conception of himself as a god-like figure or a
disdain of the greater populace stems from what he perceives supreme ruler. Grenouille's state of being a god isn't achieved
as a willingness or biological imperative to be led blindly by through titles or government but through scent, which
scent. transcends class and status.
The way in which Grenouille acquires language, both spoken Many of the individuals who play roles in Grenouille's life are
and the language of perfume, and goes on to use it “climbers” like he is, but they seek financial success or social
encompasses his struggle between genius and convention. recognition rather than the purely selfish pleasure that
Grenouille begins talking late and struggles to understand how Grenouille gains from creating his ideal perfumes. Notably, a
spoken language even works, since he finds the spoken word number of these individuals suffer some form of a miserable or
inadequate to describe his world. However, as he grows, he untimely death after they're rid of Grenouille. Most of these
begins to understand that by accepting language, social deaths are caused by the very things that motivated the
customs, and the practices of perfumers, he can pass as normal characters to climb in the first place, as when Baldini's death
in society. This epiphany first grips Grenouille when the occurs when his shop, the fanciest address in town, falls into
marquis de la Taillade-Espinasse dresses him in gentleman's the river. Similarly, while Grenouille's death is a suicide rather
clothes. Grenouille discovers that despite his lack of scent and than an accident, it's his goal of creating the perfect perfume
his badly scarred body, he is capable of passing as normal by that brings about the situation in which he can commit suicide
accepting the conventions of how polite gentlemen dress. He in the way that he does.
continues this facade with the faux human scent, and his total
Despite their different goals or motivations, almost all the
facade allows him to move through society without fear of his

characters see those around them as means to an end or means Gaillard, but their actions (such as Grenouille's murder of the
to advancement. In this way, the characters are reduced to girl from the Rue de Marais) also serve to repel and disgust the
mere tools rather than considered as full human beings. This reader. One can almost laugh at Grenouille attempting to
becomes apparent when Grenouille is a child, as he survives by ascertain if he has a personal scent, but the consequence of
proving useful to Grimal and Baldini. Later, Grenouille uses this Grenouille's discovery leads him down an unimaginably horrific
way of regarding people to work towards his own goals. He path.
actively manipulates the marquis into allowing Grenouille to
create his human perfume, and then goes on to use the girls of
Grasse as tools and materials to create his final perfume. SYMBOLS
Symbols appear in teal text throughout the Summary and
SCENT, SIGHT, AND THE GROTESQUE Analysis sections of this LitChart.
While the novel's focus is on scent more than
anything else, it relies heavily on descriptions of
scent that are highly visual in nature. This THE TICK
combination works to create a grotesque landscape, Particularly throughout the first half of the novel,
simultaneously repulsive and beautiful, that draws the reader Grenouille is described as a “tick,” in that he is ugly,
in and pushes them away in turn. lies in wait without being entirely aware of what he's waiting
The entire premise of the novel is based on the idea that scent for, and "drops" when he scents blood (or in Grenouille's case,
is more powerful than anything else, and most importantly, that perfume). The tick, then, represents how Grenouille is seen by
this power isn't known or accessible to the average person. the outside world (compared to how Grenouille sees himself;
Grenouille then becomes a strange combination of a genius, as compare the tick to the Grenouille that exists in his inner
he's aware of and able to manipulate this power better than palace). In a very literal sense, the comparison of Grenouille to
anyone, and a monster, as he possesses no scent himself. a tick alludes to his vampire-like tendencies. Like a tick or a
Further, even after the marquis introduces him to cosmetics, vampire, Grenouille metaphorically sucks his victims dry of
Grenouille doesn't have the looks to inspire anything but their lifeblood in the form of both their scent and their lives,
disgust or sympathy, if anyone even takes notice of him. without any conception of morality, right, or wrong. Like a tick,
Directly opposite Grenouille, then, are the 25 girls he murders, robbing victims of their blood or scent is just what he does, and
and specifically Laure. She not only has a powerful and alluring seemingly what he must do to survive.
scent; she's extremely physically beautiful as well. In this way,
the murders of the girls by Grenouille can be seen as more than
GRENOUILLE'S INNER WORLD
just murders in the name of creating the perfect perfume;
they're an attempt to obtain and control something that Grenouille's inner world (also referred to as his
Grenouille himself is entirely incapable of being: irresistibly fortress, inner palace, or purple room) is where
appealing, both physically and in an olfactory sense. Grenouille keeps all of his scents catalogued and is a place
where he has complete control as “Grenouille the Great.” Thus,
Despite Grenouille's purposeful rejection of sight in favor of
Grenouille's inner world can be seen to represent both how
scent throughout his life, he finds that the two senses are
Grenouille conceptualizes himself and illustrates how he'd like
connected, and experiences varying degrees of awe and horror
the world to be. Grenouille the Great is capable of molding this
at this discovery. Part of Grenouille's early fear and later hatred
inner world to look and smell exactly how Grenouille wants, a
of people stems from the fact that, as a child, he passed through
power that Grenouille seeks to gain over the outside world.
crowds entirely unnoticed. However, once Grenouille creates a
Further, while Grenouille the Great's world has servants to
personal perfume for himself, he finds that he attracts neutral
wait on him, they're invisible and don't smell, and in the same
attention while in public. Notably, Grenouille's personal
vein, the girl from the rue de Marais features in Grenouille's
perfume is made from a horrific combination of ingredients
world as bottles of scent to be drunk. This fleshes out and
including moldy cheese and cat feces. The description of these
illustrates Grenouille's misanthropic view of people; he sees
ingredients serves to offend the reader on multiple fronts and
them as items to be used and enjoyed rather than as actual
heighten the sense of the grotesque.
beings.
In particular, the combination throughout the novel of
descriptions of scent and sight create an almost oppressively
disgusting yet fascinating reading experience, which then QUO
QUOTES
TES
works to suggest a sense of absurdity and black humor.
Grenouille as a child and an adolescent almost inspires Note: all page numbers for the quotes below refer to the
sympathy from the reader, as do figures such as Madame Publisher edition of Perfume published in 0.

Part 1, Chapter 3 Quotes

following his birth. The description here begins to develop
Wasn't it Horace himself who wrote, “The youth is gamy as Grenouille's character as a misanthropic “abomination,”
a buck, the maiden's fragrance blossoms as does the white even as an infant. While Grenouille doesn't truly understand
narcissus...”?—and the Romans knew all about that! The odor of his own misanthropy until he's an adult, and while
humans is always a fleshy odor—that is, a sinful odor. How Grenouille's lived experiences certainly teach him to hate
could an infant, which does not yet know sin even in its dreams, people, the narrator posits here that this misanthropy was
have an odor? How could it smell? inherent to Grenouille from birth. This idea helps to further
distance Grenouille from the reader, as the idea of an infant
Related Characters: Father Terrier (speaker), Jeanne who is already malicious and inhuman is both strange and
Bussie, Jean-Baptise Grenouille disturbing. It also makes it very clear that Grenouille cannot
be saved or redeemed; this quality is inherent to him, so
Related Themes: there's no use for the reader to hope that someone or
something might encourage Grenouille to experience or act
Page Number: 16 in the name of love.
Explanation and Analysis
Father Terrier is rationalizing to himself why the infant Part 1, Chapter 5 Quotes
Grenouille doesn't smell. Note here the implication that
With words designating non-smelling objects, with
children don't smell, but adults do; this assertion helps later
abstract ideas and the like, especially those of an ethical or
to raise the question of whether Grenouille truly comes of
moral nature, he had the greatest difficulty. He could not retain
age, as while he manufactures a human scent for himself, his
them, confused them with one another, and even as an adult
body never naturally produces one. Further, Father Terrier
used them unwillingly and often incorrectly...
mentions explicitly the blossoming of the “maiden's
fragrance,” which provides some foreshadowing for later
events. Grenouille comes to realize later in life that these Related Characters: Jean-Baptise Grenouille
“blossoming” maidens possess the best scents, and
possessing these scents himself then becomes Grenouille’s Related Themes:
goal. Father Terrier also equates this odor with sin
specifically. This becomes more complicated as Grenouille Page Number: 25
begins to construct his final perfume, as the young women Explanation and Analysis
he victimizes are all virgins, and so traditionally are still
devoid of sin. This raises the question of whether the The narrator is describing how Grenouille learned to speak
maidens’ scents themselves are sinful, or if the sin comes and acquired language. It was a slow process, as only words
with the love that the scent inspires. that denoted objects that smelled held Grenouille's interest.
The problem of language follows Grenouille throughout his
life. While he does eventually learn enough spoken language
Part 1, Chapter 4 Quotes to function in the world, he never becomes a great
conversationalist, because people don't hold interest for
But to have made such a modest exit would have him. He later learns the language of perfume and learns
demanded a modicum of native civility, and that Grenouille did how to write out formulas and measure ingredients, but he
not possess. He was an abomination from the start. He decided only learns these skills because he understands that
in favor of life out of sheer spite and sheer malice. possessing these skills will allow him to pass for a normal,
conventional perfumer. This is how Grenouille decides to
Related Characters: Jean-Baptise Grenouille learn things throughout his life: only if it truly interests him,
or only if it will allow him tools to advance his goals and
Related Themes: interests or proves absolutely necessary for his existence.
Page Number: 21

The narrator is describing Grenouille's first minutes of life,
where his cry saved him from a death of neglect directly


will love both this girl and, later, Laure for their intoxicating
Grenouille knew for certain that unless he possessed this scents, Grenouille alone can understand how their scents
scent, his life would have no meaning... the mere memory, work and how to harness them for his own use.
however complex, was not enough.
Related Characters: Girl from the rue de Marais, Jean- Part 1, Chapter 11 Quotes
Baptise Grenouille The man was indeed a danger to the whole trade with his
reckless creativity. It made you wish for a return to the old rigid
Related Themes: guild laws. Made you wish for draconian measures against this
nonconformist, this inflationist of scent.
Page Number: 41
Explanation and Analysis Related Characters: Giuseppe Baldini (speaker), Pélissier

Grenouille has discovered the girl from the rue de Marais,
who possesses an intoxicating scent, and he decides that he Related Themes:
must possess the scent himself by killing her. While it's been
obvious from the beginning that Grenouille is strangely Page Number: 53
obsessive about scent, this takes that obsession to a sinister Explanation and Analysis
extreme. His disregard for humans and life itself becomes
apparent, as he later suffers no remorse nor even Baldini is on a mental rant against Pélissier, a rival perfumer,
acknowledges that he murdered the girl. but he also rails against the changing times in which he finds
himself. Here, Baldini specifically recalls the guild laws of the
Further, this event becomes a turning point for Grenouille middle ages, which set out strict guidelines for the creation
and his life. The discovery of this scent allows him to begin of perfumes. Following those guidelines, presumably,
to plan for his future and starts him on his quest for self- Pélissier wouldn't be able to access the success he enjoys in
knowledge. the mid-18th century, and Baldini would still be considered
a successful and well-established perfumer.
This passage also highlights Baldini's love of rules and
It was as if he had been born a second time; no, not a regulations in general. He later insists that Grenouille learn
second time, the first time, for until now he had merely to write out formulas and measure ingredients, which
existed like an animal with a most nebulous self-awareness. But allows Baldini to feel more in control of Grenouille's process
after today, he felt as if he finally knew who he really was: (which Baldini would, interestingly, surely describe as
nothing less than a genius. "nonconformist" as well). Baldini isn't interested in creating
new things, necessarily; rather, he holds tight to the
Related Characters: Girl from the rue de Marais, Jean- craftsman origins of the perfume profession and guards
Baptise Grenouille these traditions carefully, as they provide comfort and
meaning in these quickly changing times.
Related Themes:
Page Number: 43
Man's misfortune stems from the fact that he does not
Explanation and Analysis want to stay in the room where he belongs. Pascal said
that. And Pascal was a great man, a Frangipani of the intellect, a
Grenouille is in bed after killing the girl from the rue de
real craftsman, so to speak, and no one wants one of those
Marais. It becomes obvious that killing the girl and
anymore.
possessing her scent is a turning point for Grenouille, as it
catapults him onto his journey of self-discovery. It provides
him with a higher power, essentially, with which to organize Related Characters: Giuseppe Baldini (speaker)
both his life and his vast mental collection of scents. His
conception of himself as a genius (and thus set apart from Related Themes:
the general human population) also begins to develop
Grenouille's misanthropy as something conscious, and that Page Number: 55
he's even proud of. While Grenouille asserts that everyone

The tick had scented blood. It had been dormant for years,
Explanation and Analysis encapsulated, and had waited. Now it let itself drop, for
better or for worse, entirely without hope. And that was why he
Baldini is considering the changing times in which he finds
was so certain.
himself, and he feels threatened by man's desire for
progress, speed, and discovery. Baldini's entire monologue
sets the reader up to understand him as someone who is Related Characters: Giuseppe Baldini, Jean-Baptise
very interested in convention and conformity. He takes Grenouille
comfort in rules and regulations, as they offer him power
and control. Baldini isn't interested in breaking rules for the Related Themes:
sake of invention; he'd rather things just not change. When
Baldini takes in Grenouille, however, the reader watches Related Symbols:
Baldini slowly but surely embrace "leaving the room" via
Grenouille's creativity. While Baldini certainly molds and Page Number: 69
channels this creativity and achieves success by working
within existing rules and regulations, Grenouille's presence
helps shift Baldini towards a more artistic way of being. Grenouille is in Baldini's perfume shop for the first time and
However, when Baldini dies after Grenouille's departure, is possessed with the thought that he belongs there. The
the reader is asked to consider if the responsibility lies with narrator likens Grenouille to a tick throughout the novel,
Grenouille as a sort of bringer of death, or Baldini's most often when Grenouille is a child and a young teenager.
rejection of true artistry is to blame. By comparing Grenouille to a tick, the narrator is able to
build the narrative that Grenouille is not only ugly and a
parasite of society, but functions and makes decisions based
Part 1, Chapter 14 Quotes on little more than instinct and base desire. In this case, we
see that Grenouille understands immediately and
But he at once felt the seriousness that reigned in these instinctively that he can learn everything he needs to know
rooms, you might almost call it a holy seriousness, if the word from Baldini and working in a perfume shop, and the skills
"holy" had held any meaning whatever for Grenouille... he could learn there will allow him to fulfill his desires.
Further, the comparison helps dehumanize Grenouille in the
Related Characters: Giuseppe Baldini, Jean-Baptise eyes of the reader. This creates a push-pull effect, as the
Grenouille reader is drawn towards empathizing with Grenouille in one
moment, and in the next is seeing him as a parasitic, evil tick.
Related Themes:
Page Number: 67
Your grandiose failure will also be an opportunity for you
Explanation and Analysis to learn the virtue of humility, which—although one may
Grenouille is delivering skins from Grimal to Baldini and is pardon the total lack of its development at your tender
now inside a perfume shop for the first time in his life. Here, age—will be an absolute prerequisite for later advancement as
the reader is asked to consider Grenouille's relationship to a member of your guild and for your standing as a man, a man of
religion itself and religious ideas in general. While honor, a dutiful subject, and a good Christian.
Grenouille is said to have never understood words that
signify non-concrete ideas, this alludes to the idea that he Related Characters: Giuseppe Baldini (speaker), Jean-
has some understanding of the ideas themselves if not the Baptise Grenouille
language that describes them.
This also begins to draw a connection between scent, Related Themes:
religion, and power. In Baldini's shop, Baldini (or Grenouille)
Page Number: 77
has the power and ability to create scents. While Grenouille
doesn't begin creating his most powerful scents until years Explanation and Analysis
after this moment, it's in Baldini's shop where he learns the
Baldini has decided to allow Grenouille to try and create a
language and the processes through which he can
copy of the perfume “Amor and Psyche,” believing full well
manufacture this power.
that Grenouille will fail. This passage sets out a number of

Baldini's misconceptions about Grenouille. While Baldini is remains a child (or some other non-human entity) in an
certainly correct that Grenouille experiences nothing close adult's body.
to humility (and never will), he incorrectly assumes that
Grenouille desires to advance in the way that Baldini lays
out here. Grenouille comes to understand that obtaining Part 1, Chapter 17 Quotes
journeyman's papers through the guild is necessary for
He believed that by collecting these written formulas, he
carrying out his goals, but he doesn't wish to be a famous
could exorcise the terrible creative chaos erupting from his
perfumer per se. Honor is also a specific word that
apprentice.
Grenouille doesn't understand, and will never possess.
Finally, Grenouille also doesn't understand the ideas of
religion or what it means at all to be a "good Christian." Related Characters: Giuseppe Baldini, Jean-Baptise
Rather, Grenouille conceptualizes himself as a god and a Grenouille
supreme ruler.
Related Themes:
Despite Baldini's gross mischaracterization of Grenouille,
the fact that he does so provides Grenouille with an easy Page Number: 91
cover later. By pretending to want all these things that
Baldini lays out here, Grenouille can deflect attention from Explanation and Analysis
his true goals, which would certainly horrify anyone, Baldini has forced Grenouille to allow him to write down
including Baldini. formulas for the perfumes Grenouille creates. Baldini finds
a great deal of comfort in enforcing rules and order, and
dislikes unrestricted creativity and invention. Thus, he finds
... [he] looks just like one of those unapproachable, Grenouille's ability to mix perfumes without measuring
incomprehensible, willful little prehuman creatures, who in them to be both terrifying and miraculous in turn. By writing
their ostensible innocence think only of themselves... if one let down the formulas, Baldini begins to exert some control
them pursue their megalomaniacal ways and did not apply the over Grenouille's chaotic creative process. This is also the
strictest pedagogical principles to guide them to a disciplined, primary way in which Baldini uses Grenouille for his own
self-controlled, fully human existence. gain. While Baldini certainly could've allowed Grenouille
free rein to create as he so chose, getting the formulas in
writing insures that Baldini can still recreate the perfumes
Related Characters: Giuseppe Baldini (speaker), Jean- in case something happens to Grenouille. Baldini cares little
Baptise Grenouille for Grenouille's desires or even his well-being, but will do
whatever it takes to make sure he can keep using
Related Themes:
Grenouille's genius for his own gain.
Page Number: 81

But by using the obligatory measuring glasses and scales,
Baldini is watching as Grenouille sets about creating his he learned the language of perfumery, and he sensed
copy of Amor and Psyche. Grenouille is a young teenager at instinctively that the knowledge of this language could be of
this point, and Baldini begins to think of Grenouille as much service to him.
younger and indeed, as a child. This passage as a whole
highlights the novel's general portrayal of children as
Related Characters: Giuseppe Baldini, Jean-Baptise
subhuman, or in this case, pre-human. By casting children as
Grenouille
less than human, growing up and coming of age logically
entails becoming truly human. In particular, the thoughts
Related Themes:
Baldini experiences about children here call Grenouille's
later “coming of age” into question. While Grenouille does Page Number: 92
live to the age of 25, he remains selfish, willful, and is a
menace to society until his death. By comparing Grenouille's Explanation and Analysis
character traits as an adult to what the novel posits Grenouille has just made the move to work for Baldini as an
constitutes adulthood, the reader is asked to question apprentice, and the narrator is describing how Grenouille
whether or not Grenouille truly comes of age, or if he

That odor had been the pledge of freedom. It had been the
acquires the language of perfume. Remember that pledge of a different life. The odor of that morning was for
Grenouille doesn't need this language at all to make Grenouille the odor of hope. He guarded it carefully. And he
exceptional perfumes; his superhuman sense of smell is drank it daily.
enough for him. However, to exist and move freely within
the world and not raise suspicion, he needs to know this
Related Characters: Jean-Baptise Grenouille
language, as it allows him to pass as normal. Grenouille
understands that in order to accomplish his goals, he must
Related Themes:
exist alongside the rest of humanity.
The acquisition of the language of perfume mirrors his Related Symbols:
process of acquiring spoken language. Grenouille realizes
that it's a necessary thing he must learn, but he only realizes Page Number: 129
this as it becomes extremely obvious, and only because
ignorance of it might hinder his personal goals. Explanation and Analysis
The narrator is describing Grenouille's daily "debaucheries"
he takes part in within his inner palace, which include
Part 2, Chapter 27 Quotes drinking bottles of scent collected in the past. Returning to
... he clapped his hands and called his servants, who were the time this drink was collected (Grenouille's first walks
invisible, intangible, inaudible, and above all inodorous, and around the city without permission while employed by
thus totally imaginary servants... Grimal), the reader begins to understand how important
freedom is to Grenouille. While this desire for freedom is
entirely related to Grenouille's misanthropy, it also
Related Characters: Jean-Baptise Grenouille functions to humanize him for the reader. Freedom is a
common desire, and the circumstances of Grenouille's
Related Themes:
employment were inarguably inhumane and cruel. Thus, by
indicating that this sense of freedom is essential to
Related Symbols: Grenouille, both as a teenager and now as an adult, the
reader is asked to consider whether he is a true
Page Number: 128 “abomination,” and has been from the start, or if he learned
Explanation and Analysis to be that way through his inhumane treatment as a child.
The narrator is describing Grenouille's evening activities in
his imaginary “inner fortress.” While Grenouille's inner
empire provides insight into what Grenouille wishes the
world would be (odorous in a way he finds pleasing; himself What he now felt was the fear of not knowing much of
as the god or ruler), the particulars of Grenouille's servants anything about himself... He could not flee it, but had to move
indicate how Grenouille feels about humanity. Notably, toward it.
Grenouille wishes to be served. He wishes for someone else
to fetch him things and perform menial tasks. However, in Related Characters: Jean-Baptise Grenouille
his perfect world, these people simply perform tasks
without actually existing in any way. This indicates just how Related Themes:
intense Grenouille's self-involvement is, as he cannot even
bring himself to imagine what actual servants in the real Related Symbols:
world might be like (and would presumably be displeased by
their human scent). While Grenouille is eventually able to Page Number: 137
recreate much of his fantasy world in real life, these
servants and the existence of humanity in this particular Explanation and Analysis
way stand as one thing that he's never able to bring about. In his cave, Grenouille has just experienced a terrifying
dream in which he was nearly suffocated by his own
nonexistent body odor. After thinking about it for a while, he
feels this new fear—that he has no self-knowledge. This
realization then begins to alter Grenouille's planned path

from one of simple domination of scent to one in which he Page Number: 155
seeks to understand something about himself and figure out
his place in the world. This places Grenouille's later Explanation and Analysis
development of faux human perfumes as a marker of Grenouille is sitting in a church in Montpellier after
adulthood and coming of age, as this moment suggests the successfully testing his human perfume. He realizes now
idea that Grenouille is less than human, and definitely less that he has the power to control people through scent. This
than adult, because he doesn't possess a personal scent. passage gets at the underlying premise of the novel: that
scent is the most powerful sense of all, and most
importantly, that it is inescapable and works subconsciously.
Part 2, Chapter 30 Quotes This explains both Grenouille's power, as well as the draw of
“You will realize for the first time in your life that you are a the girl from the rue de Marais and Laure Richis. The girls'
human being; not a particularly extraordinary or in any fashion scents work subconsciously to make people love them and
distinguished one, but nevertheless a perfectly acceptable find them exceptionally beautiful, and Grenouille specifically
human being.” states that while the girls are indeed lovely, what truly is at
work is their scents. Later, we also see the truth of this idea
when Grenouille begins manufacturing different scents for
Related Characters: Marquis de la Taillade- Espinasse
different purposes. He's able to convince women to take
(speaker), Jean-Baptise Grenouille
pity on him and offer him food scraps, or to convince people
to ignore him, simply by changing his perfume, further
Related Themes:
supporting this basic premise of the novel.
Page Number: 144
Explanation and Analysis Part 3, Chapter 35 Quotes

Following Grenouille's departure from the volcano, he is No, he wanted truly to possess the scent of this girl behind
taken in by the marquis and provided with clothes and the wall; to peel it from her like skin and to make her scent his
makeup, which the marquis is here offering Grenouille a own. How that was to be done, he did not know yet. But he had
mirror to look at. two years in which to learn. Ultimately it ought to be no more
Notice the language used here, specifically the use of difficult than robbing a rare flower of its perfume.
"human." By following the logic of the novel, coming of age
and becoming an adult naturally entails becoming fully Related Characters: Laure Richis, Jean-Baptise Grenouille
human, as children are treated as less than- or sub-human.
This moment, then, stands as a stepping-stone in Related Themes:
Grenouille's quest to come of age and become human, as
this is the first time another person calls to his attention Page Number: 172
that he is, indeed, human. Grenouille's process of coming of
age isn't quite complete, however, as for Grenouille's Explanation and Analysis
personal journey to adulthood, discovering his personal Having just arrived in Grasse, Grenouille catches the scent
scent is a necessary part of the equation. of Laure Richis, whose scent is very similar to that of the girl
from the rue de Marais. Grenouille then vows to possess
this scent. While this stands primarily as a moment of
Part 2, Chapter 32 Quotes foreshadowing, it also provides evidence of Grenouille's
For people could close their eyes to greatness, to horrors, maturation and scientific mind, as he chooses not to murder
to beauty, and their ears to melodies or deceiving words. But Laure and rob her of her scent immediately. Essentially, he
they could not escape scent. For scent was a brother of breath... conceptualizes his last murder as childish and clumsy, which
He who ruled scent ruled the hearts of men. sets this one up to be significantly more sophisticated.
While he doesn't yet know how to truly possess this scent,
he's conducted precise experiments before and certainly
Related Characters: Jean-Baptise Grenouille has the ability to do the same again.
Further, the language here develops both Grenouille's
Related Themes:
misanthropy and the generally grotesque feeling of the

novel. The description of peeling scent from the girl “like Page Number: 194
skin” creates a sense of horror, while his comparison of
taking Laure's scent to taking that of a flower indicates how Explanation and Analysis
little he thinks of humans. He doesn't regard this girl as a Grenouille has just committed his first murder in Grasse. He
valuable individual; he sees her only as a scent that exists murders young girls by clubbing them on the head, and the
for his pleasure and possession. girls are found naked and with their heads shaved. The
farmer's difficulty upon discovering the girl gets at one of
the primary devices of the novel, which is exposing the often
Part 3, Chapter 38 Quotes fragile relationship between beauty and horror. This
What he coveted was the odor of certain human beings: relationship creates a push and pull effect on the reader
that is, those rare humans who inspire love. These were his throughout the novel, in which one moment the reader is
victims. drawn into a description of something fascinating and
beautiful, and the next moment is repelled when it takes a
turn for the grotesque or violent. The effect is that the
Related Characters: Laure Richis, Girl from the rue de
reader is both roped into empathizing with Grenouille in
Marais, Jean-Baptise Grenouille
light of his mistreatment, and being repulsed by his deeds
and thoughts.
Related Themes:
Page Number: 188

He was also disgusted by the murderer. He did not want to
The narrator has finished describing Grenouille's process of regard him as a human being, but only as a victim to be
learning how to take scent from humans, and this final slaughtered.
statement sets the stage for Grenouille's future endeavors
in working with human scent. Remember that Grenouille's
first cry as an infant was a cry for life but against love. Here Related Characters: Jean-Baptise Grenouille, Laure Richis,
Antoine Richis
as an adult, by robbing young girls of their lives and robbing
those around them of inspirations of love, Grenouille
Related Themes:
further brings this relationship between life and love into
question. Undeniably, Grenouille doesn't understand love. Page Number: 232
He never feels it or experiences it. Rather, his misanthropy
is what leads him to embark upon this endeavor to steal Explanation and Analysis
from these girls their love-inspiring scents. As love is Following Laure's murder, Grenouille is arrested, tried, and
something that he cannot actually possess in a meaningful sentenced to a gruesome death. While Grasse prepares for
way, he must then deprive everyone of love and turn these the execution as if for a festival, in his grief Richis
unique scents into a perfume that allows him to exert experiences only sadness, failure, and disgust at the
control over the populace. murderer.
While Richis is developed primarily as one of the "good
guys" in the novel, Süskind also draws a number of
comparisons between Richis and Grenouille. In this
The farmer who discovered her was so disconcerted by instance, Richis wishes to be able to regard Grenouille in
the gruesome sight that he almost ended up a suspect himself, the exact same way that Grenouille thinks of his victims—as
when in a quivering voice he told the police lieutenant that he something less than human, a creature that needs to die in
had never seen anything so beautiful—when he had really order to accomplish a goal.
wanted to say that he had never seen anything so awful.
Related Characters: Jean-Baptise Grenouille Part 3, Chapter 49 Quotes

He was in very truth his own God, and a more splendid
Related Themes: God than the God that stank of incense and was quartered in
churches.

Related Characters: Jean-Baptise Grenouille while Grenouille wanted some combination of love or hate
from his perfume, what he truly wanted was to understand
Related Themes: himself. As Grenouille's understanding of the world is so
intensely tied up in how he experiences it in terms of scent,
Page Number: 239 Grenouille feels he cannot understand himself unless he can
understand how he smells. Thus, as Grenouille both lacks
personal scent and wasn't able to create a perfume that
Grenouille has just incited an orgy at his execution with his allowed him to understand his lack of scent, he gives up on
perfume, and finds himself the most powerful person for life and the world. Further, this indicates that even though
miles around. For many characters in the novel, God and Grenouille comes of age in some ways, because he's
religion in general are the most powerful entities they deprived of this very important way of knowing himself, he
believe in. Grenouille is consistently put in opposition to the never fully completes the process of becoming an adult.
church, however, as education in the church is believed to
instill morals in a person—something that never happened
for Grenouille. And though Grenouille doesn't necessarily
understand the idea of God, he does understand the idea of They were uncommonly proud. For the first time they had
a god in that it is all-powerful, and he also makes a done something out of love.
connection several times between the smell of incense in
churches and God's power. While Grenouille comes to Related Characters: Jean-Baptise Grenouille
detest incense, particularly when he notices that it isn't
pure, he finds his own god-like power in the overwhelming Related Themes:
influence of his personal incense, which is the perfume he
created with the odors of the 25 virgins of Grasse. Page Number: 255

Part 4, Chapter 51 Quotes When Grenouille returns to Paris, he uses the entire bottle
of his perfume to commit suicide. The people referenced
And though his perfume might allow him to appear before
here, a group of prostitutes and thieves, are suddenly
the world as a god—if he could not smell himself and thus never
inspired to dismember and eat Grenouille when they smell
know who he was, to hell with it, with the world, with himself,
his perfume. This, then, is final line of the novel, which drives
with his perfume.
home the importance of Grenouille's relationship to love
(and the novel’s perception of love and passion in general).
Related Characters: Jean-Baptise Grenouille Grenouille never experienced interpersonal love himself,
but targeted those individuals who inspired love in others
Related Themes: (and whose scent inspired a kind of love in him).
Consequentially, the perfume he created from the scents of
Page Number: 252 his victims was capable of inspiring love in anyone who
smelled it. And though Süskind clearly isn’t advocating for
murder and cannibalism, he does seem to suggest that the
Grenouille is traveling back to Paris to die after using his kind of purity of passion inspired by Grenouille’s final
perfume in Grasse. His experience in Grasse was supposed perfume does have its own value. The people who kill him
to be a fulfilling one in which he experienced immense are even proud of their murderous act afterward, because
power and domination over the town's residents, but they feel fulfilled in a certain way—they have embraced the
instead, he finds himself very disillusioned. We see here that deepest level of their humanity.

SUMMARY AND ANAL

ANALYSIS
YSIS
The color-coded icons under each analysis entry make it easy to track where the themes occur most prominently throughout the
work. Each icon corresponds to one of the themes explained in the Themes section of this LitChart.
PART 1, CHAPTER 1
The narrator begins by saying that the story that will be told in The idea that scent leaves no trace will be an important idea
the novel is that of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, one of the most throughout the novel, and given later events, the reader will be
"gifted and abominable personages" of 18th-century France. asked to question the actual truth of this. Grenouille is introduced
The narrator continues that his name has been forgotten from the start as an abominable figure, which drives the reader
(unlike figures such as Napoleon Bonaparte) not because he away from identifying with him to begin with.
was any less awful than any of the other abominations of the
era, but because he dealt in scent, which doesn't leave a trace.
In 18th-century France, everything stank disgustingly in a way The cemetery mentioned here will be an important location in the
the narrator deems inconceivable to the modern person. Rich novel at several points. Further, notice the narration style here as
or poor, summer or winter, every person and every place, the narrator describes the stench of the city. The description has a
particularly Paris, smelled horrible. However, the Cimetière des visceral quality to it, despite the assertion that "modern people"
Innocents, which housed 800 years' worth of bodies from the couldn't conceive of such a stench.
surrounding parishes and hospitals, stank the worst.
Jean-Baptiste Grenouille is born here on July 17, 1738. Note here Grenouille's mother's desire to go on and have "real
Grenouille’s mother is a fishmonger, and Grenouille is her fifth children." Throughout the novel, children are described as sub-
baby. All her babies were born in her market stall, although human in different ways, and Grenouille in particular is seen as not
none of the others lived. The narrator notes that Grenouille's truly human. This quote then indicates that Grenouille, along with
mother is still young, pretty, and relatively healthy, and his mother’s previous dead children (who are presumably born out
entertains a hope of one day marrying a widower and bearing of wedlock, and therefore not seen as “real” or legitimate either),
"real children." When she finally gives birth to Grenouille, she aren't important or worth bearing in the first place. This idea will
cuts the umbilical cord with her butcher knife, and, affected by follow Grenouille throughout his life, as he remains unloved and
the heat and the smell of the market and cemetery, faints. unvalued.
This draws a crowd and someone calls the police. When Here we see the judicial system of the time at work. There are very
Grenouille's mother comes to, she stands up and goes to wash. real consequences for (perceived) infanticide, and in a way
Grenouille begins to cry under the table in the market stall and Grenouille is punished for his mother's wrongdoing by being
the crowd discovers him. He is given to a wet nurse and his deprived of any family from the start.
mother is arrested, tried for multiple infanticides, and
decapitated a few weeks later.
©2020 LitCharts LLC www.LitCharts.com Page 16

By the time his Grenouille’s mother was decapitated, Notice the irony here: while Jean-Baptiste was a popular name at
Grenouille had had three different wet nurses, all of whom said the time, the historical John the Baptist was beheaded, just like
that he was too greedy for milk. La Fosse, the police officer in Grenouille's mother. Grenouille then essentially has to carry his
charge of Grenouille's case, wants to send Grenouille to a mother's act of wrongdoing with him for his entire life. While this
halfway house that sends baptized orphans to Rouen, but since turn is tragic, it's also humorous in a very dark way, setting the novel
Grenouille is at this point still nameless and not baptized, La up for further instances of dark comedy.
Fosse instead turns him over to the cloister of Saint-Merri.
They baptize him with the name Jean-Baptiste and give him to
Jeanne Bussie, a wet nurse, who receives three francs per week
to feed him.
PART 1, CHAPTER 2
Several weeks later, Jeanne Bussie stands at the gates of the Remember that Jeanne Bussie is Grenouille's third midwife, and all
cloister of Saint-Merri with a market basket. Father Terrier of them have described him as “greedy”—even as a baby he’s
opens the door, and Bussie explains that the basket contains portrayed as vaguely monstrous and having an insatiable appetite.
Grenouille. When Father Terrier inspects the infant and In this case there's no sense of motherly love for Grenouille; he's
proclaims that he looks good, Bussie states that he's gorged merely an economic loss, as a wet nurse can't feed more than one
himself on her milk and she will no longer feed him. baby if the greedy Grenouille is one of them.
As Father Terrier stands up he notices that Jeanne Bussie The reader has already been told that scent is Grenouille's realm,
smells of milk and cheesy wool. He tries to offer Bussie more but here we're introduced to the idea that it's not his alone—indeed,
money and the two argue. Bussie finally says that Grenouille is in the vaguely fantastical world of the novel, most people place a lot
possessed by the devil, and she knows this is true because he of importance on scent. Father Terrier can recite off the top of his
doesn't smell at all. Father Terrier insists that infants aren't yet head what sick children smell like, and Jeanne Bussie's dislike of
human and therefore can't be possessed. He lifts the basket Grenouille is partly because of his lack of smell. Grenouille’s lack of
and smells Grenouille, stating that the only thing he smells is a smell will be a defining trait of his, and becomes a primary motivator
soiled diaper. Bussie holds firm, and Terrier, annoyed, explains for his actions later in the novel.
that only sick children smell (like onions, horse manure, or old
apples, depending on the affliction). Bussie asserts that
children are supposed to smell like children, and this one
doesn't smell.
Father Terrier, growing angry at Jeanne Bussie, turns the Here, Jeanne Bussie's low social and economic standing is made
argument into a theological one. Bussie, peeved at this turn abundantly clear to the reader. Caramel would've been a luxury and
that means she can't possibly win, states simply that Grenouille because of her low class, she's only ever smelled it. Father Terrier, as
doesn't smell right and she doesn't want him. Father Terrier a religious figure, is somewhat outside of the social ladder, but still is
demands to know what babies are supposed to smell like. able to use Jeanne Bussie's status to put her down and express his
Bussie struggles for a moment and then details what babies displeasure.
smell like (fresh butter, caramel). Father Terrier asks Jeanne
Bussie when she's ever had caramel, and then gives up. He
grabs the basket with Grenouille in it and goes to his office.

PART 1, CHAPTER 3
Father Terrier is a learned man who has studied theology as In this instance, knowing already that Grenouille will become a
well as philosophy, and thinks highly of himself in this regard. master of scent, we see a divide being drawn between scent and the
He combats fiercely the folk superstitions that plague his church, and indeed, according to Father Terrier, against instinct and
parish, the persistence of which he finds depressing. He thinks civilization. The reader is again reminded of Jeanne Bussie's social
that Jeanne Bussie is very wrong in her assessment of standing, as she too is compared to the "primitive paganism" that so
Grenouille, particularly since she came to her conclusion with irritates Father Terrier.
her nose. Father Terrier believes this is a nod to primitive
paganism (which believed in smelling blood and offering stinky
sacrifices to the gods) and not rooted in Christian reason.
Father Terrier rocks the sleeping Grenouille's basket on his Despite his qualms, Father Terrier is still curious about the smell of
knees and strokes Grenouille's head, talking to him about babies. Notice Terrier's assertion that children don't smell until
Bussie's nonsense ideas. He smells his fingers that were puberty; this foreshadows important plot points later. Also, note
stroking Grenouille's head and smells nothing. He lifts the here that sin is equated to a personal scent, which adds another
basket, expecting to smell milk or sweat, but finds he smells instance of black humor, as we know Grenouille is "abominable."
nothing at all. He reasons that clean infants just don't smell
until the child reaches puberty, and an infant that has no
conception of what sin is cannot possibly smell.
Father Terrier, still rocking Grenouillee's basket, entertains the This is an uncharacteristically tender moment for Grenouille, and
fantasy that he hadn't become a monk, but instead took a wife possibly the only time throughout the novel he's ever regarded with
and is rocking his own child. He feels especially cozy about the even passing affection.
thought.
Grenouille begins to wake, nose first. His nose sniffs and snorts Grenouille here becomes truly sub-human in Father Terrier's eyes.
and his eyes open and appear to not even perceive Father He's no longer an innocent infant; he's a "thing." This is developed
Terrier. Father Terrier, however, has the uncomfortable further with the comparison to a plant, which occurs several times
impression that Grenouille is "seeing" him with his nose, and in throughout the novel.
his mind likens the infant to a meat-eating plant in the botanical
gardens. Terrier feels ill and exposed. He stands and thinks he
wants to get rid of the "thing" immediately.
Grenouille begins to cry, chilling Father Terrier's blood. Father Father Terrier and Jeanne Bussie will likely never know that they
Terrier begins to think of the child as a devil, but stops short. He were right about Grenouille being a “devil.” The comparison is
quickly thinks of where the infant could go, and settles on the developed further as the novel goes on, and especially as Grenouille
home of Madame Gaillard, just outside the city. He carries begins committing actual evil acts. Yet we also must question to
Grenouille there and pays a year in advance. Returning home, what extent Grenouille’s “abominable” character is a result of being
he undresses, scrubs himself, and climbs into bed, crossing treated as monstrous since his very birth.
himself and praying until he falls asleep.

PART 1, CHAPTER 4
Madame Gaillard, while not yet 30, has already lived her entire Madame Gaillard's inability to smell and sense emotion means that
life. As a girl her father hit her across the face with a poker, she doesn't recognize that Grenouille doesn't smell, or that his
damaging for good her sense of smell and her ability to feel any emotional development is limited. As a somewhat grotesque
emotion. As such, she has a great sense of order and justice, character herself, her only goal in life is to die a private death and
shows no preference for any of her charges, and cares for them save herself the “embarrassment” of dying in public.
without emotion. She saves her money so that in her old age,
she can afford to die at home rather than in the Hôtel-Dieu like
her husband did.
Madame Gaillard's establishment is a blessing for Grenouille. Grenouille will be compared to a tick throughout the novel. It's a
He thrives despite poor nourishment, a variety of childhood fitting comparison, as both Grenouille and the tick are vampires of
illnesses, and some physical mishaps. The narrator likens him to sorts, robbing their victims of blood or scent. It also alludes to his
a contented tick, living quietly on blood drank years ago. He emotional deficiencies and the general portrayal of him as a kind of
requires no attention or love. sub-human creature.
The narrator states that Grenouille's first cry as an infant stood Süskind sets up the idea that “love” and “life” are in contrast to each
as a decision against love, but for life, since demanding both other, and in choosing “life” purely out of spite Grenouille chooses to
would have resulted in an early death. Grenouille was an reject human connection in favor of his own experience of his senses
abomination from birth and made this decision out of spite and and, later, his “art.” He's again portrayed as a parasite, as it's
malice. The narrator observes that Grenouille is like the indicated that he's hibernating and waiting for his first victim to
aforementioned tick in a tree, hibernating and waiting for the appear.
scent of blood so it can then drop and bite an animal.
Grenouille's lack of scent or soul doesn't bother Madame Thus far in his life Grenouille has already been rejected by adults;
Gaillard, as she can neither smell nor experience emotion, but here he's rejected by his own peers. He's designated a loner while
the other children immediately realize that he's creepy and still an infant, and simply repels people for no apparent reason.
strange. Some of them try to kill him with little success, and
finally give up. They don't hate him; they simply fear him and
find him disturbing.
PART 1, CHAPTER 5
The narrator indicates that objectively, there was nothing scary Here, the narrator gets at the most important premise of the novel:
about Grenouille, as he was never big, strong, exceptionally that scent silently and secretly controls everything. The children
ugly, or seemed particularly smart. He didn't begin walking until can't place why Grenouille is scary, but the reader can infer that it's
age two and began to speak at age three. His first words were because he has no scent.
concrete nouns that were especially odorous.

One day, Grenouille sits on a cord of wood and says the word We see here how engrossed Grenouille is in his olfactory world, and
"wood" for the first time. He already understood the idea of how this immersion influences how he interacts with the outside
wood, but it had never truly captured his interest. But on this world. The word "wood" only presents itself as a thing worth
day, he closes his eyes and simply smells the wood for a half learning or remembering once it enters his mind as something of
hour and gets lost in the smell. The experience is confusing and interest scent-wise.
intense, and he mutters "wood" over and over again for the
next few days.
Grenouille learns to speak in this way, but never fully grasps the Grenouille's belief in language only goes as far as it's useful to him.
concepts of words that express objects that don't smell, Remember that he's emotionally deficient and hateful of the world,
particularly words that express abstract or moral ideas. Even as so his unwillingness or inability to learn, understand, or use words
an adult he will use them incorrectly. The language he does that express higher moral concepts demonstrates his emotional
possess at this point soon becomes inadequate to express his state. Further, he doesn't even know for sure that language has a
olfactory experiences. He is able to differentiate between milk true point, since even the words for smelling objects aren't even
from different cows, or smoke from different burning materials, enough to articulate the world he experiences.
and since language doesn't provide enough words to describe
these differences, he soon begins to doubt if language makes
sense at all.
By age six, Grenouille has grasped his entire surroundings by Grenouille is increasingly portrayed as a kind of genius, but also as
smell. He has tens of thousands of smells in his memory and can extremely emotionally deficient. Punishments don't work because
imagine how different scents combine. The narrator likens him his world just doesn't include anyone aside from himself, and so
to a musical wunderkind (child prodigy), but for scent. He grows there's no impetus for him to please anyone but himself.
more secretive and disappears for days to smell the meadows
and vineyards. Punishments have little effect on him.
Madame Gaillard begins to notice that Grenouille has As the fantastical nature of Grenouille’s genius is emphasized, he is
potentially supernatural qualities, such as being able to detect once again believed to be in league with the devil, and again
worms in uncut vegetables and an apparent ability to see because of his relationship to scent. By addressing the reader
through walls. At one point, Madame Gaillard forgets where directly in this situation, the narrator encourages us to feel
she hid her money, and he finds it within seconds. He also sympathy for Grenouille and to feel somewhat superior to Madame
seems to be able to tell the future, as he can predict storms Gaillard. It's not yet truly apparent that Grenouille is evil; at this
hours away. While we know that he could simply smell all these point he seems simply strange and troubled.
things, Madame Gaillard believes he has the “second sight” and
therefore will bring misfortune and death. She decides he has
to go, and coincidentally, the cloister of Saint-Merri ceases
their payments when Grenouille is eight.
Madame Gaillard walks Grenouille to the tanner Grimal, who is Again the reader is asked to feel sympathy for Grenouille as he's sold
always in need of cheap labor to do the most dangerous parts into what's essentially slavery. We know it's Madame Gaillard's
of the job. She knows that Grenouille will likely not survive, but injury that makes her feel no remorse, but it's still no less awful.
feels no responsibility or remorse. She walks home satisfied.

The narrator says that since Madame Gaillard will not appear Many, many years in the future, Madame Gaillard experiences the
again, we should find out how she dies. She lived to be very old death she explicitly wanted to avoid and spent her whole life
and gave up her business and purchased her annuity in 1782, working against. While a long life is usually celebrated, in Madame
and set about waiting for death. However, the French Gaillard's case, it ended up being her downfall. The inclusion of
Revolution came first, and while it didn't affect her at first, she Madame Gaillard's death raises the question of Grenouille's part in
was later forced to auction off her belongings and then her it. Was she right, and he did bring misfortune upon her?
home. By 1797 she'd lost her entire fortune and contracted
cancer. She spent her last three weeks in the Hôtel-Dieu in a
communal bed with five other women, and was buried in a mass
grave in 1799.
PART 1, CHAPTER 6
Grenouille understands immediately that Monsieur Grimal Here, even more so than Grenouille's other caregivers, Grimal sees
only values Grenouille's life as long as it's useful to him, and Grenouille only as a means of profit. Grenouille is treated as little
Grenouille never resists him. The narrator states that better than a domestic animal, and is forced even more than before
Grenouille bottled up his defiance in a tick-like way. In the to bottle up his humanity in order to stay alive. This makes the
evenings, Grimal locks Grenouille in a closet to sleep on the reader remember the narrator's earlier assertion that Grenouille
floor, and during the day, Grenouille works as long as there's chose life over love, and encourages consideration of how that idea
light. After a year Grenouille contracts anthrax, which is usually works throughout the novel.
fatal, but Grenouille survives and is now immune to the disease.
This makes him significantly more valuable as a worker, and he's
finally allowed a bed and better food.
Beginning at age 12, Grimal allows Grenouille time to himself Note the language used to describe Grenouille. Even at this young
every week to explore the city. Grenouille "the tick" feels age, he's "hunting" rather than exploring, making his actions seem
triumphant and alive, and experiences the urge to hunt for predatory.
scents in the smelly city of Paris.
PART 1, CHAPTER 7
Grenouille's world of the surrounding neighborhoods is a For the first time, the reader sees Grenouille as being close to happy,
utopia of scent. He revels in the human and animal smells and getting to follow his nose and the scents of the city. This is another
can dissect the mixture of odors into individual scents, which instance where the narration of the scents is graphic and visceral,
gives him immense joy. He often stands and waits for an adding to the sense of grotesque magical realism. The reader is also
interesting scent to pass his nose, and then follows it to its again asked to feel sympathy for Grenouille, as we're allowed to see
source. When he is finished smelling the streets, he goes to the his dream of being at sea, but we know now that this is something
market of Les Halles, the bustle of which he can experience that will never happen.
through scent even when it is empty. From the west comes the
scent of the sea, which Grenouille finds immensely wonderful.
He often thinks about sitting in the crow's nest of a ship,
experiencing the smells one day, but (the narrator says)
Grenouille will never see the ocean.

When Grenouille exhausts the smells of his neighboring Grenouille hasn't yet used the term "genius" to describe himself, but
quarters, he expands and begins exploring the other side of the he's already feeling superior to those around him. This feeling of
river, where rich people live. This is where Grenouille first superiority will develop into his raging misanthropy later in the
smells perfume. He is immediately able to dissect these novel, and help him flesh out his conceptualization of other people
perfumes as he'd done with other smells, but he finds most of as stupid.
them coarse and thinks he'd be able to do better if he had
access to ingredients.
Grenouille doesn't differentiate between "good" or "bad" Grenouille already shows his genius for constructing an “inner
scents; he simply desires to possess all that he can. In his mind world” and his aptitude for creating perfumes, as he mixes his own
he creates and destroys new scents with the basics he's scents in his mind.
gathered, similarly to how a child plays with blocks.
PART 1, CHAPTER 8
On September 1, 1753, Paris sets off fireworks to celebrate the This is the first time we see Grenouille experience real emotion.
anniversary of the king's coronation. A great crowd mills along Notice, however, that what this scent inspires is the desire to hunt
the river, Grenouille among them on the right bank. the and control, to possess; in short, for Grenouille to exert dominance
fireworks bore him, as he finds their smell monotonous. As he over this scent, whatever it is. Despite previous chapters in which
prepares to leave, he catches a whisper of a delicate scent that the reader has been asked to feel sympathy for Grenouille, this feels
nearly eludes him. Grenouille is in agony as his heart aches for sinister.
the scent. He feels it's the key to assigning order to all the other
odors, and feels sick with excitement.
Grenouille decides the scent is coming from across the bridge Grenouille's inability to figure out what the scent is only adds to the
and follows the scent through the crowd. He thinks that the drama of this scene. Combined with his belief that the scent is
scent has a freshness and a warmth like nothing else he's ever drawing him in, rather than him hunting it, it makes it seem as
experienced. Grenouille feels as though the scent is drawing though the source of the scent is complicit, and Grenouille himself
him in, and he continues his hunt through the empty streets. has no agency in the matter.
Grenouille turns onto the rue de Marais and the scent gets This is wholly unexpected for Grenouille. Up to this point his
stronger and purer. Finally, after a series of courtyards, he sees experiences with people have been unmentionable in an olfactory
a girl, 13 or 14 years old, sitting at a table, cleaning and pitting sense, and he's been neglected or abused physically and
plums by candlelight. Grenouille realizes that the scent is emotionally. This is the first time that a person has meant anything
coming from the girl and is confused, as he knows humans to important to him, and realizing this is a difficult thing for Grenouille.
smell repulsive. He consults his eyes for only a moment and
returns to enjoying the smell of the girl, finding that every scent
he'd mentally created up to this point is meaningless in light of
this girl's scent.
Grenouille decides that he has to possess this scent or his life Note the color of the girl's hair; this will be important later.
will have no meaning. He approaches the girl slowly and stops Remember too that Grenouille's lack of personal scent is what
right behind her. She has red hair and very white skin. She makes him so terrifying. On an instinctual, primal level, this girl
doesn't see Grenouille, but notes a chill of fear. She turns wasn't able to detect the presence of another person, according to
around and comes face to face with Grenouille. In her terror, the premise of the novel.
she doesn't cry or fight him as he strangles her. He doesn't
notice any of her physical beauty, as he keeps his eyes closed.

When the girl is dead, Grenouille tears off her dress and smells This scene is simultaneously horrific and fascinating. Grenouille
her bare skin from head to toe. When her scent finally fades, he becomes more of an object than a person here, as he transitions
collects himself for a bit and then blows out her candle. He from being a potentially sympathetic protagonist into something
begins his walk home as the crowd from the fireworks wholly inhuman and unemotional, adding to the novel's grotesque
disperses. By the time the girl's body is discovered, Grenouille nature.
is already across the river.
That night, Grenouille thinks of his closet as a palace and can't Grenouille now has a goal, and he takes immediate personal steps
sleep for bliss. He feels as though he's been born for the first to get there by constructing his “fortress.” This inner fortress will be
time, as now he realizes that he's a genius and must important going forward, as it's where Grenouille's ideal world plays
"revolutionize the odiferous world" by using his talents to out. It allows him to exercise his misanthropy and hatred of the
become the greatest perfumer of all. Grenouille also takes time people around him, and revel in the scent world he takes so much
that night to inspect and arrange the scents in his memory, and pleasure in.
over the next week he refines his system. He begins to
construct an inner fortress of smell. Grenouille feels no
remorse at having murdered the girl; all that matters to him is
that he now possesses her scent.
PART 1, CHAPTER 9
At the time of the story, the narrator says, there were thirteen The thirteen perfumers of Paris feels like a mythical number, and
perfumers in Paris; six on each bank and one on the Pont-au- draws on the history of thirteen being an unlucky number in
Change, the bridge connecting the right bank with the Ile de la Western culture. It foreshadows what later will happen to Baldini.
Cité. This street was one of the finest addresses in the city, and
the perfumer Giuseppe Baldini lived there.
Baldini stands still in his shop, surrounded by a cloud of The description of Baldini's shop hearkens back to Grenouille's inner
perfume he's created for himself. He has thousands of fortress. It's a fantastical building filled with smells, but manifested
perfumes and cosmetics in his shop, as well as anything else in real life, and seemingly not nearly as organized.
that has smell, like honey, marinated tuna, and scented
stationary.
Baldini's shop doesn't have a cellar, so the entire four stories Baldini's slow descent is made clear here. His obscene-smelling shop
are packed with his wares and the blend of all the scents in the simply is too much for most customers, despite continuing to hold
shop is nearly unbearable. While Baldini, his assistants, and his Baldini's interest, if not his actual ability to smell it. We're again
wife no longer detect the odors, anyone else who enters the asked to compare Baldini's physical shop to Grenouille's inner
shop is hit by an intense punch of scent. Many faint or become fortress.
forgetful, and as such, fewer and fewer customers enter the
shop.

PART 1, CHAPTER 10
Baldini cries for Chénier, his shop assistant, and tells him he'll This exchange between Baldini and Chénier is humorous, as it's
be in his study and shouldn't be disturbed. Baldini explains that obvious that it's all for show, and it's implied that Pélissier is likely a
he's going to create a perfume to use on Spanish hide for a very successful perfumer, and Amor and Psyche is likely a fine
count, and that the count wants something similar to Amor and perfume despite all Baldini’s negative talk about it. This indicates
Psyche, a popular perfume by Baldini's rival Pélissier. The two that the business of perfume is a competitive and personal one, and
decide that the scent is truly vulgar and assert that Baldini often about keeping up acts and facades.
certainly won't take his inspiration from the "bungler" Pélissier.
Baldini heads for his study while Chénier thinks that Baldini
will, per usual, not be struck by inspiration, but rather curse and
rave and create terrible mixtures, and several hours later,
Baldini will reappear and Chénier will suggest that they send
someone to discreetly purchase Amor and Psyche from
Pélissier.
Chénier thinks that Baldini is no longer a great perfumer, Once again, characters only see each other as means of achieving
despite how great he'd once been, and can no longer keep up some kind of advancement. Chénier sees Baldini only as a way
with current trends. Chénier thinks that this is a shame, as through which he can someday own his own perfume shop, and he
Baldini is sure to ruin his shop and Chénier will be too old to worries about his chances given Baldini's decline.
take it over by that time.
PART 1, CHAPTER 11
In his study, Baldini removes his coat. He knows better than Baldini's respect for rules and regulations is made very clear from
Chénier that inspiration won't strike, as it never has before. The the start, setting him up as a figure standing for “convention” and
narrator likens Baldini to a competent cook who makes great order, in contrast to the wild creative genius of Grenouille.
dishes, but has come up with no recipes of his own. Baldini isn't
an inventor and doesn't want to be, as he doesn't like inventions
because inventing means breaking rules.
Rather than create a new perfume for the count, Baldini While Baldini sees Pélissier as a rival and inferior, he also can't help
intends to copy Pélissier's Amor and Psyche. Baldini thinks of trying to copy Pélissier’s perfume. We see how important this copy
how awful it is that he, an honest man, must do something so is, as Baldini's business is failing and his success depends on it.
crooked in order to keep such an important client. Most of his
clients have ceased purchasing products from him, and he's
only surviving by selling door-to-door.
Baldini attributes his fall to Pélissier's reckless creativity, which The social anxieties of the times intersect with the characters here,
leaves Baldini unable to keep up with demands each season. as Baldini is nervous that anyone can experience success now that a
Baldini wishes for the strict old guild laws, which would punish social system exists through which individuals can climb and
Pélissier, who isn't even a trained perfumer. Baldini continues become successful. The guild laws, which once would've protected
his mental rant and considers the history of perfume, where Baldini, no longer exist. This setup is important to remember when
originally a perfumer had to be fluent in Latin and able to Baldini meets Grenouille, as Grenouille will turn Baldini's thoughts
perform many different tasks related to the creation of here upside down.
perfume and cosmetics. However, once it was discovered how
to bind scent to alcohol, the craft began to slip from the grasp
of masters and into the hands of anyone, like Pélissier.

Baldini laments the changing times, where speed is of the Baldini expands his anxieties to encompass the entirety of man's
essence. He asserts that man doesn't want to stay where man current lot in life, where women and the king himself are not only
belongs, which causes all sorts of trouble. Baldini also laments interested in these advancements, but have access to them. While
the rise of scientific papers that posit that God maybe didn't education is still quite elite and exclusive, it's significantly more
even create the world, among other things—women are accessible than before.
reading books now, and the king himself is interested in such
nonsense.
Baldini stands at the window and regards the river below. The Baldini sees the river as a metaphor for his life. Baldini's relationship
narrator states that Baldini made a mistake buying a house on to the river will be important going forward, as the river will both be
this side of the bridge, as the river appears to flow away from a source of distress and a source of fortune and inspiration.
him, carrying his wealth with it. Sometimes, Baldini crosses one
of the bridges with no buildings and looks up the river,
imagining that the river is carrying prosperity towards him.
PART 1, CHAPTER 12
Baldini sits at his desk with a flacon (small bottle) of Amor and The reader here is asked again to compare Baldini to Grenouille. We
Psyche, and sets about trying to identify its components. He know already that this task would be insanely easy for Grenouille,
thinks it's disgustingly good as he sprinkles drops on a but we see that Baldini has to work for it. This will provide
handkerchief and passes it under his nose. Angry at his delight Grenouille with another way in which he can feel superior to the
at the perfume, he thinks of Pélissier as a wolf in sheep's rest of humanity.
clothing and vows to copy the perfume perfectly. Baldini
collects paper and ink and begins to dissect the perfume.
PART 1, CHAPTER 13
Baldini works for two hours and by then can barely smell Despite Baldini's attempt at a different method, the outcome
anything, but he continues the motion of sprinkling the kerchief appears to be just as Chénier predicted all the same. Again,
and passing it under his nose. He knows continuing is pointless, compare Baldini's reaction to scent to what we know of Grenouille.
as he never learned how to dissect scent in this way. Finally, An allergic reaction such as this isn't something that makes sense
Baldini's nose swells with an allergic reaction to the perfume, for Grenouille to ever experience.
and he gratefully quits and decides to send for some Amor and
Psyche the following morning.
As the sun sets, Baldini thinks that one day his last customer Baldini finds release in the absence of scent once the river appears
will die, he'll have to sell the shop, and he’ll move to Italy with to have changed direction. The fall of night acts as a falling curtain
his wife in bitter poverty. Baldini goes to the window and opens on this part of Baldini's life.
it, and it seems as though the river has changed direction in the
fading sunlight. Suddenly, Baldini flings the flacon of Amor and
Psyche into the river. The room is filled with fresh air and the
night falls suddenly.

Baldini vows that he won't send someone to purchase Amor Baldini is evidently a religious man, which will be an important thing
and Psyche in the morning. Rather, he decides to sell his shop, to remember later. We're again reminded of the appearances that a
and he suddenly feels very happy and relaxed. He can live perfumer (and indeed, a gentleman at this time) must keep up as
modestly in Messina by selling now. Baldini decides to tell his Baldini dons his wig. This façade of civilization and gentility is then
wife and then light a candle at Notre-Dame. He puts on his wig contrasted with the servile, animalistic Grenouille.
and hears the shrill servants' entrance bell as he heads out of
his office. Nobody answers the door, so Baldini heads
downstairs to answer it himself. Outside is Grenouille,
cowering, with goatskins from Monsieur Grimal.
PART 1, CHAPTER 14
Baldini remembers that these are the goatskins for the count. Baldini’s casual decision here begins a turning point in Grenouille’s
He considers sending Grenouille back with the goatskins, but life.
decides to accept them.
Baldini leads Grenouille through the shop. This is the first time By again comparing Grenouille to a tick, Süskind asserts that
Grenouille had been in a perfumery, and while he knows every Grenouille isn't exactly making these decisions consciously—instead
scent in the place, he still had yearned to see it up close. He these are things that he instinctively knows in an almost bestial
feels the seriousness of the rooms and is gripped with the sense. We see too that Grenouille is beginning to behave like those
thought that he belongs in this place. The narrator asserts that who have “cared” for him thus far, as he sees Baldini and his shop as
there is nothing to justify Grenouille's belonging here as a solely a means to advancement.
tanner's helper, but Grenouille the tick had scented blood and
was letting itself drop.
Baldini instructs Grenouille to lay the skins on a worktable. Here, Grenouille's lack of social skills (hunched posture, not leaving
Baldini inspects the goatskins and finally tells Grenouille that when it's implied he should) works in his favor, as it comes across as
he'll come pay for the skins in a few days, but Grenouille simply being strange and timid. Essentially, his lack of knowledge of
doesn't leave. Baldini asks if he needs something else, and how to truly deal with people provides a disguise for his more
Grenouille tells him that he'd like to work for him. Baldini takes sinister plans. Also, it’s confirmed that Grenouille is easily able to
Grenouille's hunched posture for timidity, when it's actually the dissect the perfume, but his talent hilariously scares Baldini, as
exact opposite. Baldini explains he has no need for a tanner's Grenouille’s genius again seems supernatural to other characters.
apprentice, and Grenouille asks Baldini if he wants to make the
skins smell good with Amor and Psyche by Pélissier. This
terrifies Baldini. Grenouille continues that Baldini reeks of the
perfume and it's not very good, and then rattles off a list of
elements that are in the perfume.
Baldini is perplexed and thinks that Grenouille is either Baldini masks and justifies his curiosity with professionalism. Notice
possessed, an imposter, or very gifted. Three of the ingredients that while the reader knows Grenouille is already a killer, he's still a
listed by Grenouille were indeed the ones that Baldini hadn't simple curiosity for other characters in the novel at this point. Like
been able to come up with earlier. He's curious and wishes to his lack of social skills, this will protect Grenouille and help him
test Grenouille to see if he can provide the recipe, thinking that advance.
even if he won't use the result, he's still interested in knowing
the recipe, as well as curious about Grenouille.

Baldini states that Grenouille has a fine nose, and when Grenouille thinks highly of himself (and we know that he's correct in
Grenouille replies that he has the best nose and knows his self-assessment), but his lack of social skills means that he
thousands of odors, Baldini yells that that's impossible, and doesn't realize that saying so violates all social convention.
says that anyone with a passable nose could've parsed out the
ingredients of the perfume. Baldini then lists the qualities of a
master perfumer, and asks Grenouille if he could provide the
exact formula for Amor and Psyche.
Grenouille finally replies that he doesn't know what a formula Here Grenouille's rudimentary grasp of language works against him.
is. Baldini explains sternly, and Grenouille states that he doesn't While a formula is a concrete thing to those who know how to use
need a formula. He just asks to mix the perfume. Baldini is again one, for someone like Grenouille a formula is entirely unnecessary
perplexed as Grenouille points out where the bottles of the and not worth his time to learn about.
ingredients are in the room, and Baldini accuses him of being a
spy. Baldini figures that it won't make any difference since he's
going to sell the shop anyway, and Grenouille may be a genius.
Baldini agrees to let Grenouille mix the perfume, saying that his Grenouille takes in conversation similarly to how he acquired
certain failure will teach him humility. He begins to set up the language in the first place, only paying attention to parts that
tools of the trade on the table as Grenouille grabs bottles and interest him or he finds important. Baldini, however, is still
jars, having heard Baldini's "yes" and nothing else, and knowing considering appearances and conventions as he sets out the tools.
that he's won.
Grenouille asks how much to make, horrifying and infuriating Grenouille finally exhibits a sense that he has some awareness of
Baldini. Baldini finally asks for half a beaker, and Grenouille "right" and "wrong" ways to do something, which sets him up to
states that he'll mix it his own way, which he knows is the develop these skills later in the novel. Grenouille’s genius is again
"wrong" way. Baldini thinks there is only one right way, but presented as something fantastical and “miraculous.”
what happens next is truly a miracle.
PART 1, CHAPTER 15
Grenouille pours alcohol into the mixing bottle, horrifying Baldini keeps a running mental narration of the correct way to mix a
Baldini from the start. In what seems like a haphazard way, perfume, which allows the reader to follow along and join in his
Grenouille grabs different bottles, sniffs them, and pours them horror. We see again Baldini's anxieties about the age he's living in,
into the mixing bottle, ignoring the pipettes and test tubes. where individuals like Grenouille have a chance to be more than
Baldini thinks that he looks like a selfish child, and is caught up street beggars.
in his own disgust at Grenouille and the age that has allowed
individuals like Grenouille to exist; he only comes to when
Grenouille begins to shake the mixing bottle vigorously.
Baldini yells for Grenouille to stop and calls him a brat and The reaction here relies on the novel's premise that scent governs
crude, adding that Grenouille may never again enter a everything, whether we are conscious of it or not. Baldini's reaction
perfumer's shop. However, as he speaks, he smells Amor and here is due to the fact that he cannot escape the scent of Amor and
Psyche in the air. The narrator says that odors are powerful and Psyche in the room, and cannot control how it affects him.
cannot be fended off, and as Grenouille steps back from the
table, Baldini slowly stops his tirade. He tests the concoction on
a handkerchief and says "incredible."

While Baldini sniffs the handkerchief in stunned silence, Grenouille shows off what he's been doing for fun in his head for
Grenouille asserts that the perfume isn't very good, and says years. Grenouille's swirl instead of a shake of the finished perfume is
he'll make it better. Baldini doesn't interfere as Grenouille possibly a nod to Baldini's sense of order and how things should be,
mixes right into the beaker of Amor and Psyche. Grenouille which might help to turn Baldini in his favor.
then swirls the mixture delicately, rather than shaking it, and
pronounces it done. When asked, however, Baldini declines to
test it and shows Grenouille to the door.
Grenouille again asks Baldini if he can work for him, and Baldini, It’s important that Baldini forgets to say his prayers. Characters all
still stunned, says he'll think about it. Grenouille disappears, along have equated Grenouille with the devil, and his ability to mix
and Baldini is frightened by what's just occurred. He returns to this perfume has definitely had enough of an effect on Baldini to
the laboratory and tests the new perfume, which he finds effectively lead him away from religion. We also see that Baldini's
glorious. Silently he begins to trim the leather and starts the earlier decision is evidently reversed now, and it's obvious that
process of scenting the skins. Upstairs later he says nothing to Baldini will indeed take Grenouille on.
his wife, and he forgets to light a candle at Notre-Dame, and
forgets for the first time to say his prayers.
PART 1, CHAPTER 16
The next morning, Baldini goes to Grimal, pays for the goat Grenouille's tick-like "knowing" is evident here, as he was never told
leather, and invites Grimal to share wine and negotiate that he was going to work for Baldini for sure. We also see
Baldini's purchase of Grenouille as an apprentice. He offers an Grenouille being treated like a slave or animal once again, as he is
enormous sum of money and Grimal accepts. When they return “sold” from one master to another—a fact that perhaps contributes
to the tannery, Grenouille is waiting with his clothes, and he to his conception of himself as something other-than-human.
and Baldini leave.
Grimal, convinced he's just made the best deal of his life, This asks the reader to recall what happened to Madame Gaillard,
continues drinking throughout the day. That night, confused, he who also died a horrific death after breaking off contact with
falls face first into the river and drowns instantly. The river Grenouille. Grenouille’s very presence seems to bring bad fortune
draws his body downstream. and even death.
As Grimal's body flows under the Pont-au-Change, Grenouille Grenouille's celebration in his inner fortress indicates just how
is going to bed in a bunk in a corner of Baldini's laboratory. As important this move will be for him. Notice the specific mention of
Grenouille falls asleep, he dreams of a victorious entrance into an orgy; this will be a recurring motif throughout the novel, adding
his inner fortress where there's a banquet and an orgy with to the overall sense of decadence, sin, and the grotesque.
clouds of incense and myrrh held in his honor.
PART 1, CHAPTER 17
With Grenouille working for Baldini, Baldini's perfumery It's made very apparent that Grenouille is indeed a genius. His
begins its climb to European fame. The first evening Grenouille perfumes are so powerful that he can draw customers into a shop
is tasked with creating a huge batch of his first perfume, of that's been going downhill for years in one day. The power of scent is
which 80 flacons are sold the next day. Chénier sells bottles to again presented as something both ubiquitous and almost magical.
some of the most powerful individuals in Paris.

While Chénier mans the shop, Baldini and Grenouille remain in The reader is reminded that scent controls everything, specifically
the laboratory to manufacture a new scent per week, or money. People have no problem paying an inordinate sum of money
whatever's needed to take on Pélissier and the other for a new perfume, and following the logic of the novel, it's the
perfumers. Chénier doesn't bother asking questions and stays beauty and power of the perfume that makes people helpless to
on, taking a cut of the massive profits. Every product Baldini resist it.
creates is a success, and money is no object for the customers.
Grenouille, the "gnome," as Chénier thinks of him, is Baldini begins to temper Grenouille's genius and direct it so it's
responsible for this rise of fame. Baldini can barely keep up easier to manipulate. Grenouille is still allowed and encouraged to
with Grenouille's creativity. Finally, he demands that Grenouille be a genius and create perfumes, but only if he does so "correctly"
start using scales and measuring ingredients for his according to Baldini. The two books are a way for Baldini to further
concoctions, which allows Baldini to follow along and write control Grenouille and insure himself against any ill fate that might
down the recipes. Baldini eventually forbids Grenouille from befall Grenouille.
creating new perfumes unless Baldini is there to write down
the formulas. He compiles the dozens of formulas into two
small books, one of which he keeps in his safe and the other on
his person at all times.
Grenouille is helped by Baldini's insistence on measuring, as it As soon as a kind of language becomes useful and necessary for
teaches Grenouille the language of perfume. Soon Grenouille is him, Grenouille seems to have no trouble learning it and using it. We
able to write the formulas himself, and eventually can simply also see how smart Grenouille is, as he understands that this is all a
write out a formula for a new scent with no experimentation at ruse to fool Baldini so that Grenouille can learn what he needs to
all. Grenouille's growing knowledge and seeming normalcy from him. Both men use each other as means of advancing their
keeps Baldini from suspecting anything strange about him. own ends.
Grenouille makes mistakes on purpose to further the façade.
Grenouille knows that while he doesn't need instruction on Essentially, Grenouille is aware that to accomplish his personal
creating a good perfume, he does need social standing in the creative goals, he has to work within the existing system of society.
form of journeyman status. He also needs knowledge of the
craft of producing scents.
PART 1, CHAPTER 18
Baldini instructs Grenouille in all the arts of being a perfumer, Grenouille's progress is hindered by being in Paris, which sets
from soap making to sewing gloves. Grenouille really only Grenouille up to leave Paris at some point in the future. However,
enjoys instruction in producing tinctures and extracts. Baldini's using the alembic is a very useful skill for Grenouille and one that he
workshop isn't appropriate for doing any of this on a large will store for later use.
scale, if only because it’s hard to come by large enough
quantities of one plant in Paris, but when materials did become
available, Baldini would pull out his alembic to distill the
material.

The process of distillation relies on speed, and fascinates Again, Grenouille doesn't bother paying attention to anything that
Grenouille. The alembic needed to be attended all night, and doesn't interest him (like Baldini's stories), and instead devotes
Grenouille and Baldini would sit up, with Baldini drinking wine himself to his fantasies. These fantasies will grow more detailed as
and telling stories. Grenouille doesn't listen to them; he’s too Grenouille gets older, and as his goals grow larger and more
engrossed in the process. He imagines himself as an alembic, fantastical.
his stored scents simmering away, that would one day make the
world bearable for him. He soon abandons this fantasy and
begins thinking about how to use his knowledge to achieve his
goals.
PART 1, CHAPTER 19
Once Baldini deems Grenouille experienced enough, he allows While Grenouille's gaps in knowledge are obvious, his very scientific
him free use of the alembic. Grenouille spends his nights process of testing out what he can distill is a nod to the growth in
attempting to distill a variety of items. He's successful with scientific interest of the times. His illness then makes it very clear
plant matter, but fails with things like glass, porcelain, and how important learning these processes are to Grenouille, as his
water from the Seine. The narrator notes that Grenouille is inability to produce these scents leads to a physical affliction.
unaware that for substances without essential oils, distilling is
impossible. After months of failing to produce scents present in
his memory, Grenouille falls deathly ill.
PART 1, CHAPTER 20
Grenouille develops a high fever that after a few days develops We see that Baldini is poised to conquer his competition through
into pustules and boils. Baldini is understandably worried, as scent and be the reigning perfumer of Europe, but the reader (as well
he's considering opening a small factory where popular scents as, and most importantly, Baldini) is forced to realize that this
could be mixed and sent all over Europe. While technically an success is all due to Grenouille and his genius.
illegal venture, Baldini has the possibility of a royal patent
thanks to one of his clients, which would allow him to skip
pesky restrictions. Baldini is also entertaining the idea of having
Grenouille create individual perfumes for a select few clients.
In light of these dreams, Baldini decides to do whatever it takes Others once again pick up on the fact that Grenouille doesn't smell,
to save Grenouille. Grenouille is moved to a clean bed on the although note here that he specifically doesn't smell like decay or
top floor and fed chicken broth and wine. Baldini sends for Dr. death. Baldini's desperation is obvious, as this is the best care
Procope, a very expensive physician. With a brief look, the Grenouille has received in his life. Note, though, that this care isn't
doctor diagnoses Grenouille with syphilitic smallpox, for Grenouille's sake—Baldini is taking care of Grenouille like this
complicated by festering measles, for which there is no only because he needs him to accomplish his goals.
treatment. Interestingly, Grenouille's body doesn't exhibit the
characteristic stench of the disease, but he's still likely to die
within 48 hours.
Baldini is distraught at this turn of events. He considers making Grenouille again comes between Baldini and religion. We're
a pilgrimage to Notre-Dame to light a candle, but decides reminded here that Grenouille's goals don't necessarily include fame
instead to attempt to take Grenouille's "perfumatory or fortune, as Baldini's whisper of Grenouille's fame doesn't even
confession" and get one last formula out of his dying cause Grenouille to stir.
apprentice. Baldini whispers to Grenouille that this final
perfume will have Grenouille's name engraved on the bottle
and be given to the king, but Grenouille doesn't stir.

Baldini sits all night with Grenouille. At dawn he gives up, but Knowledge is finally what makes Grenouille wake and begin healing,
suddenly Grenouille speaks and asks if there are other ways of and the reader can assume that Grenouille will eventually end up in
extracting scent besides distillation. Baldini, thinking this is Grasse to learn these other methods Baldini mentions. Knowledge
surely the end, tells Grenouille that there are three other that will allow Grenouille to accomplish his goals is a strong enough
methods, and all are superior to distillation. He says that these promise to overcome deathly disease (especially when the disease
processes are carried out primarily in Grasse, in the south of itself seemed to spring from Grenouille’s frustration with his lack of
France. Baldini gets up to leave and thinks he should call a knowledge).
priest, but Grenouille's body has actually begun healing. In a
week, he's fully recovered.
PART 1, CHAPTER 21
While Grenouille would've loved to leave for Grasse as soon as Here, the acquisition of journeyman's papers is a marker of
he recovered, as an apprentice he's still a nobody. Baldini personhood, and by the logic of the novel, adulthood. Grenouille
explains that technically, Grenouille is less than a nobody, as a remains a “tick” and a nobody until he obtains these papers and
proper apprentice needs to be of legitimate birth, among other makes the shift from valueless child to a fully human adult with
things. Baldini says that if he one day decides to help Grenouille agency and independence.
obtain his journeyman's papers, it would be only based on
Grenouille's talents and good behavior, and Baldini's own
kindness.
This would come to pass within three years. During that time, Baldini has achieved the fame he dreamed of, and sees that he has
Baldini achieves his dreams of building the factory, receives a no more use for Grenouille (remember that Baldini has Grenouille's
royal patent, and starts selling perfumes across Europe. By formulas recorded).
1756, Baldini is Europe's greatest perfumer.
At this time, Baldini tells Grenouille he'll release him on three Baldini's conditions here hinge on Baldini's incorrect assumption
conditions. Grenouille must not produce any of the perfumes that Grenouille is a social climber in the same way that Baldini is,
he'd made for Baldini; he must leave Paris and not return until and that Grenouille desires money and fame. This assumption will
after Baldini's death; and he must keep the first two conditions be made by several individuals over the course of the novel, and
secret. Grenouille agrees without question, as he needs his serves to differentiate between Grenouille and the rest of humanity.
journeyman's paper to travel and live inconspicuously, and feels
no love for Paris. Grenouille, the narrator states, isn't out to
make his fortune through perfume—he simply wants to create
in the real world the perfumes that he holds in his mind.
Grenouille sets out in May of 1756 with some food and money Upon Grenouille's departure, Baldini finally admits that there's
from Baldini. Baldini, a chronically kind person, requires something strange about Grenouille, as if seeing him as a person
nothing more than a small severance fee. He wishes Grenouille (rather than a money-making machine) for the first time.
luck and watches him go. He doesn't shake Grenouille's hand,
though, as he senses an infectious danger in Grenouille.

PART 1, CHAPTER 22
Once Grenouille is out of sight, Baldini feels relieved. He thinks Again the characters of the book all seem to have murky morals and
he never liked Grenouille, and all those years had felt guilty and see each other mostly as means to achieve their own ends. Baldini
uneasy, as though someday it might catch up with him the way understands that the way he used Grenouille was wrong, but feels
he used Grenouille. Baldini rationalized that God will forgive as though he'll be spared paying a price for his actions because
him, and that others have cheated their entire lives without others commit similar crimes daily.
suffering punishment. But with Grenouille's departure, Baldini
feels secure in his fortune. He vows to give money to Notre-
Dame that day in thanks.
That afternoon, however, Baldini hears a rumor that the Note that Baldini neglects church for the third time, as he instead
English have declared war on France, which interrupts a spends his evening figuring out how to make money without
shipment of his perfume to London. That night, in bed, he Grenouille in the depressed economy the war will certainly bring.
decides to create a new perfume named after the colonies,
which should make up for the monetary loss that will come with
the war.
Baldini falls asleep, never to wake again, as the west side of the Baldini, like all those Grenouille has come into contact with before
Pont-au-Change collapses and falls into the river. Baldini, his him, dies an unlucky death—perhaps also as a punishment for the
wife, and their buildings are the only casualties, as all the way he exploited Grenouille (as the others did as well). We're
servants were out. When Chénier returns drunk, he suffers a reminded that Chénier is just as selfish as Baldini, as his reaction to
nervous breakdown when he realizes that he'll no longer be the tragedy is not sadness at Baldini's death, but panic that his
able to inherit Baldini's shop. The bodies are never found; all economic fortune is gone with Baldini.
that remains for several weeks are a variety of dissipating
scents.
PART 2, CHAPTER 23
Grenouille heads south to Orléans, and as he gets further away The realization that it's the people in the world rather than the
from Paris, the simplicity of the natural scents allows him to world itself that offends Grenouille will begin to lead him towards
nearly breathe freely (he never truly breathes freely, as he's raging misanthropy later in life. Notice though how he focuses on
constantly wary of the air he lets into his body, and has always the stench of people; this will be important to remember later when
preferred exhaling over inhaling). Nonetheless, he's able to he begins creating human-scented perfumes. As usual, he perceives
carry himself upright instead of hunched, and appears normal life primarily through aromas, and so his hatred of humanity
for stretches of his journey. Even more importantly, Grenouille manifests itself as a hatred of human scent.
feels freed from the press of human stench in Paris. He realizes
it's people rather than the world that he finds oppressive.
As Grenouille approaches Orléans, he changes his plan and This is proving to be a period of immense growth and change for
decides to skip the human smell of the city. Soon he begins Grenouille. He transitions from living in one of the most densely
avoiding not just cities but villages as well, and finds the clear populated cities to avoiding even solo travelers, which only adds to
air intoxicating. Within weeks even fellow travelers become too his isolation and misanthropy.
much for Grenouille's nose, so he does what it takes to avoid
running into them, eventually traveling only at night.

The sight of the landscape during the day is nearly Grenouille begins to retreat within himself as he starts to feel
overwhelming for Grenouille's eyes, but he is fascinated by overwhelmed by the outside world as a whole. His world revolves
moonlight. The view at night is gray, and the narrator likens it to around pure, non-human scent and nothing else.
the world of Grenouille's soul.
Grenouille travels south and meets no other people, although The reader begins to question whether Grenouille will ever reach
he's aware of their existence thanks to his sense of smell. He Grasse and accomplish his goals, as we find that now Grenouille is
begins to search out progressively more remote regions in unable to handle being around others at all.
order to escape the human smell, which increasingly repulses
him.
PART 2, CHAPTER 24
The most distant part of France is located in the Massif Central While Grenouille has previously been said to have experienced some
of the Auvergne, at the peak of a volcano called Plomb du moments of contentment, hope, or happiness, those moments pale
Cantal. The surrounding land is barren and uninhabited. in comparison to this jubilant celebration of his solitude. This drives
Grenouille reaches this mountain in August of 1756. He sniffs home just how much he truly feels disconnected from, and even
in every direction and smells nothing but stone and grass. It antagonistic to, humanity.
takes him a full day to realize that he is truly alone, that there is
no human presence or scent on the top of the volcano. He
finally believes it as the sun sets, and erupts with joy at his
solitude. He dances and yells with glee and triumph late into
the night.
PART 2, CHAPTER 25
Grenouille spends the next few days settling in, as he has Descriptions like this keep the reader from empathizing with
decided to stay on the mountain. He finds water in a crevasse Grenouille, as he is again presented as something foreign and un-
and salamanders and ring snakes to eat, supplemented with human.
lichen and mossberries. This is perfectly acceptable to him, as
he requires no comforts but smells.
Near the crevasse, Grenouille discovers a tunnel in the Grenouille finds immense joy in discovering a place devoid of all the
mountain that twists back 100 feet. At the end, there's a space things he's spent the last few months avoiding: people, light, and
large enough to sit and lie down. It's also quiet, dark, and sound. His joy at having found this place entirely alienates him from
doesn't smell of anything living. When Grenouille spreads his others, though.
blanket, he is overcome by a sense of sacred awe, and feels
entirely secure. He cries for joy.
The narrator discusses the people who seek solitude (saints, The comparison of Grenouille to people who seek comfort in religion
failures, prophets), who retreat to deserts or caves to be nearer will begin to develop more in the coming chapters, as Grenouille too
to God. Grenouille, on the other hand, had no conception of finds meaning in an “inner world” apart from the rest of humanity.
God; rather, he sought solitude for his own pleasure and
enjoyed life and himself immensely.

PART 2, CHAPTER 26
Grenouille's "debaucheries" take place in his inner fortress. He Grenouille is essentially masturbating by wallowing in his own
begins by thinking about scents from his childhood, and if his hatred of humanity, as malice, scent, and sex are again mingled in
disgust at them isn't quite enough, he thinks about the smell of Süskind’s descriptions. In hating others with this degree of intensity,
Grimal's tannery or the stench of thousands of Parisians in the though, Grenouille is seemingly able to experience some love of
summer. Finally his hate explodes, extinguishing all the himself, and a sense of power over things he finds inferior or
obnoxious smells and giving Grenouille a sense of repulsive.
righteousness.
Afterwards, Grenouille stretches out inside his cave. In his Here, we see Grenouille's true dreams and desires. In his inner
mental fortress, he dozes and enjoys pleasant scents. In the world, he has total control and can revel in his sense of smell—he
late afternoon of Grenouille's inner world, he rises and admires can create scent and destroy it on a whim. His people celebrate him
his inner empire like a conqueror. Grenouille's inner self strides with perfumes and he's made to feel powerful. These afternoons in
through the fields, sowing seeds of fragrance, and then brings his mental fortress will be important later, as they will influence
on a downpour. The scents bloom like flowers and mix together, what Grenouille's real-world goals become.
and Grenouille is satisfied with his work. All the created scents
celebrate their creator with songs and more wonderful smells.
When Grenouille gets tired of the celebrations, he retreats to
his heart and his inner fortress.
PART 2, CHAPTER 27
The inner Grenouille, "Grenouille the Great," is tired after his Grenouille's palace has scents on display rather than paintings or
day of destruction, creation, and celebration. His heart is a taxidermy animals, indicating again scent’s immense importance to
purple castle, and in his private castle Grenouille simply exists him. Notice too that Grenouille's servants are invisible and
as Jean-Baptiste on a purple sofa in one of the thousands of scentless. He wants to be served and have others underneath him,
rooms. The rooms contain floor-to-ceiling shelving filled with but can't stand even the imaginary "real" person with scent and
Grenouille's collected odors. In the cellars his finest scents are form.
kept, bottled like wine. Grenouille the Great calls his invisible
(and non-smelling) servants to fetch bottles of scent for him to
drink.
When the servants arrive with the bottle of scent, Grenouille It appears safe to assume that what got Grenouille through his
the Great pours himself a glass. Daily, he drinks a scent he years of servitude was this scent or the idea of freedom. Essentially,
collected while in Grimal's service, on the first night Grenouille he's now living out that freedom in his cave, where he can control
went out to explore Paris without permission. This scent is the every aspect of his life.
smell of freedom and hope.
After two glasses of this scent, Grenouille the Great begins to Grenouille has created a world for himself that is everything he ever
read from books of odors he finds revolting, primarily human dreamed of, where everything that he hates exists in such a way that
odors. He continues to drink, making it through several bottles he can pick it up and choose to engage with it, and then put it down
of pleasant scent and becoming increasingly drunk. Finally, he at will (suggesting that he partly enjoys the sensation of despising
opens the bottle of scent of the girl from the rue de Marais, his something). The girl Grenouille murdered clearly remains
most precious scent. When he finishes the bottle, he sits still intoxicating even in his memory.
for a minute and finally falls sideways and sleeps. The
Grenouille in the real world falls asleep as well.

When Grenouille wakes, he wakes up in his cave rather than in Grenouille essentially spends his days wallowing in his hate for the
his fortress or his inner empire. He feels as miserable as if he'd world and the belief, which he can entertain here, that he is a god
truly been drinking, and crawls out of the cave for water and and in total control of his world. The realities of the outside world,
food. The scents of the world are overly sharp to him, and the however, are a harsh reminder that Grenouille still is, technically, a
narrator notes that Grenouille "the tick" has grown extremely human, and cannot entirely lose himself in his inner fortress.
touchy. When Grenouille finishes taking care of his needs
outside the cave, he retreats back inside and begins the
process inside his inner empire over again.
PART 2, CHAPTER 28
Grenouille's days unfold in this way for seven years. In the The style of writing here leads the reader to question what could've
outside world, war continues to rage and France loses its possibly happened to make Grenouille leave. He was happy enough
colonial empire. One winter, Grenouille nearly freezes to death in his cave that he nearly froze lounging in his inner world and
without realizing it. He lies in his purple room for five days, and rejecting the outside world entirely. The outside world, meanwhile, is
when he finally wakes, is so cold he can't move. He is saved only changing drastically.
by a turn in the weather. Grenouille would've lived forever
within his empire on the mountain if disaster hadn't struck and
driven him back out into the world.
PART 2, CHAPTER 29
The disaster wasn't an external one, the narrator says, but Finally, in a dream, Grenouille realizes what others have realized
rather one that took place in the deepest part of Grenouille's since his infancy and finds that he doesn't smell. The knowledge of
dream fantasies. One night he lies on his sofa in his purple this is terrifying and threatens to kill him, an apt and symbolic
fortress, asleep after drinking a huge amount, including two representation of what's to come. Notably as well, it's his continued
bottles of the scent of the girl from the rue de Marais. While desire for the scent of the girl from the rue de Marais that gets him
Grenouille's sleep is usually dreamless, on this night he drunk enough to experience dreams like this.
experiences wisps of dreams floating past. The wisps begin to
grow thicker and finally, Grenouille feels as though he's
standing in rising fog. The fog wraps around Grenouille and he
can't catch his breath. The fog is Grenouille's own body odor,
and with horror, Grenouille realizes he can't smell it.
Grenouille begins to scream, and the scream wakes him. He For the first time, Grenouille's inner world is a dangerous place
thinks that the fog would've suffocated him and he would have rather than someplace safe and wonderful, which leads him to a
died, and he feels very afraid. Grenouille resolves to change his greater appreciation of the outside world.
life so that he won't have to experience such a frightening
dream again. He creeps out of his cave and squats in the
sunshine, still shaken by his dream, thinking that it's a good
thing the outside world still exists. After a few hours Grenouille
has calmed down and returned to normal.
Grenouille smells his fingers and smells nothing but the spring This entire sequence, while deadly serious for Grenouille, is comic
air. He tries the crook of his elbow, his genitals, armpits, his for the reader as we might imagine Grenouille attempting to smell
feet, and smells nothing. He rationalizes that he's dulled to his himself at the top of the mountain. While the novel is a very serious
own scent and if he could wean himself from his scent for a one, it's these moments that remind the reader that the story is also
while, he'd then be able to smell it. He strips off his clothes, ridiculous and absurd, despite its underlying horror.
leaves them in a pile, and climbs to the top of the mountain. He
stands like a diver about to jump and allows the wind to cleanse
him of his smell for several hours.

When evening comes, a very sunburnt Grenouille returns to his Finally we learn what Grenouille’s fear is truly about: it's about
pile of clothes. He performs the sniffing test he learned from coming of age and not knowing who or what he truly is. This is a
Baldini and still smells nothing aside from the natural world quest for self-knowledge more than anything else, which situates
he's inhabited for the last seven years. He becomes alarmed the novel as a whole as a kind of twisted bildungsroman.
and afraid. This fear isn't the same fear he experienced in the
dream; rather, it's the fear that he knows nothing about himself.
Deciding he must know if he has a scent, Grenouille crawls back While before Grenouille's journey was one to learn and understand
into his cave, fighting the fear from his dream and the fear of about scent, the reader is now aware that the following part of his
knowing nothing about himself. At the back of the cave, he journey will also consist of attempts to learn about himself.
squats for a long time and smells nothing but the cave.
Grenouille nods to himself, exits the cave, pulls on his clothes,
and begins to head south.
PART 2, CHAPTER 30
When Grenouille first encounters other people, he looks so We see in Grenouille's process that he's using people in a very
horrifying that people run from him screaming. When he enters similar way to how he was once used by people like Grimal and
the town of Pierrefort, he's treated as a sensational curiosity Baldini. His narrative of being a captive allows him to extract the
and is taken directly to the mayor. Grenouille presents his people's curiosity and then kindness, propelling him toward a person
journeyman's papers and invents a story that he was attacked who can help him move on and accomplish his goals.
by robbers and held captive. This isn't so wild of a story, as
similar attacks are relatively frequent in the area. The mayor
passes his report on to the marquis de La Taillade-Espinasse, a
local nobleman.
The marquis had left life at Versailles at age 40 and retired to As usual, the marquis sees Grenouille in exactly the same way that
his estate. There he wrote important scientific works on Grenouille sees others—as useful. The marquis’ ideas seem patently
various topics including experimental agriculture. This topic absurd, but he can seemingly twist any kind of evidence to fit his
inspired the marquis' research into the relationship between theory. Notably, the marquis offers Grenouille money in exchange
one's proximity to the earth and vital energy, with the belief for being a research subject, which will certainly help Grenouille
that living beings seek to distance themselves from the earth to later.
escape poisonous gas concentrated at ground level and below.
The marquis, upon hearing about Grenouille's last seven years,
finds his theories confirmed by Grenouille's horrific state. He
offers to take Grenouille to Montpellier with him to save him
from the poisonous gas in exchange for money.
Grenouille and Taillade-Espinasse make the journey in two It's let on to the reader that this supposed “proof” of that marquis'
days. The marquis is excited to present his find to an audience, theory is entirely fabricated—Grenouille is only acting unhealthy.
and when they arrive, sends invitations to local societies to His time in the mountain (which was, furthermore, an “airy” place)
come view Grenouille. A week later, Taillade-Espinasse lectures was actually a time of great internal growth and discovery for him.
to a huge crowd on his theory of “fluidum letale” (the supposed
poisonous gas of the earth), while Grenouille stands on a dais
as a research subject. The marquis asserts that Grenouille is
closer to death than life, and the lecture is a success. Grenouille
contributes to the success, as he feels perfectly healthy, but
pretends he can't speak from exposure to the gas.

Back at Taillade-Espinasse's manor, Grenouille is locked in a The care Grenouille receives here is reminiscent of the care Baldini
"vital ventilation machine," which is supposed to surround lavished on him when Grenouille fell ill. As usual, Grenouille is only
Grenouille with air from higher regions. The marquis feeds him treated as a valuable human and cared for when his health and
foods from "earth-removed" regions, primarily poultry dishes. existence are useful for someone else.
Grenouille is treated for five days and then is allowed to bathe,
trim his nails, and soften his skin. The marquis calls for a tailor
and a cobbler to fit clothes for Grenouille, and the marquis
himself applies makeup to Grenouille's face. Finally, the
marquis applies violet perfume to Grenouille and steps back to
admire his handiwork.
Taillade-Espinasse addresses Grenouille as "Monsieur," states While it's obvious that the marquis' theory has nothing to it, what's
with delight that Grenouille now looks like a perfectly normal important here is that Grenouille learns that he can pass for normal,
man, and offers Grenouille a mirror. Grenouille, seeing a save for his lack of scent. By donning the clothes and the makeup of
gentleman in the mirror, ducks instinctively, but realizes it's his a gentleman, Grenouille understands that he can now exist in
reflection and stands to regard himself. Grenouille is struck by society without raising questions as his appearance once did.
his normalcy, and thinks that except for lacking a human scent, Further, he realizes that the person in the mirror can have an effect
he isn't unusual at all. Grenouille realizes that this isn’t because on the world, which sets him up to cultivate a personality and
of the marquis' “treatment”; his appearance of normalcy is persona.
purely thanks to the clothes and the makeup. He thinks that
this figure in the mirror could have an effect on the world.
PART 2, CHAPTER 31
The following day, Grenouille fakes a fainting spell and Again, this moment drives home the idea that Grenouille is both
collapses. The marquis, entirely beside himself, calls for acting for the sake of the marquis and using the marquis to
servants and fans Grenouille with a fan drenched in violet accomplish his own goals. It's not clear yet to the reader exactly
perfume. Grenouille thrashes and is finally able to say that the what Grenouille is after by asking to create a new perfume, but by
perfume will kill him. As he calms, he explains that violet using the marquis' theory for his own gain, Grenouille is guaranteed
perfume, while lovely, is made from violet roots and must have to get his wish.
an effect on someone suffering from fluidum letale poisoning.
He asks if he may concoct a perfume that's light and airy, saying
that the new perfume would make him immune to future
fainting spells.
The narrator notes for the reader that Grenouille's speech was While Grenouille learned language in order to pass for normal, here
recorded using proper speech, but in reality Grenouille's he knowingly forgets it in order to add to the drama and effect of the
outburst was an eruption of blubbering, coughing, and gasping, outburst.
accompanied by rolls of the eyes.
Taillade-Espinasse, impressed, thinks that he too is probably Taillade-Espinasse now attributes his own ailments to the use of
infected by the violet perfume. He feels great affection towards violet perfume, following Grenouille's plan exactly. This plays into
Grenouille for bringing it to his attention, and screams at the the idea that scent and perfume have great power over people.
servants to remove all violet perfume from the manor and for
Grenouille to be taken to a perfumer in the city, which the
narrator notes is exactly what Grenouille's intent was.

In the local perfumer Runel's shop, which isn't well equipped by The components of Grenouille's human base only serve to reinforce
any means, Grenouille sets about creating the scent of a human his misanthropy. The ingredients are disgusting, which allows the
being. Grenouille creates a disgusting base for his perfume of reader the opportunity to regard the scent of humans in a similar
cat feces, old cheese, rotten egg, and civet, and then adds fresh way to how Grenouille regards them. Further, it heightens the
scents such as peppermint and eucalyptus, which temper the grotesqueness of the novel by making humans appear especially
awful smell. The floral and oily smells on top of the horrific base disgusting.
smell like life. Grenouille quickly creates a copy of the floral half
of his perfume, puts it into bottles, and then applies his first
perfume to himself.
PART 2, CHAPTER 32
As Grenouille leaves the laboratory, he feels afraid to be giving Grenouille doesn't identify with his humanity or feel human, hence
off an odor for the first time. He decides to test his perfume in his fear to smell like one.
an anonymous environment, so he decides to walk through the
town.
Grenouille is used to being ignored in public, as many people Grenouille's façade of "passing" as normal and human is complete,
simply aren't aware he exists thanks to his lack of smell. and further, the acquisition of a smell can be seen as one way in
However, here in Montpellier, Grenouille sees that he's being which Grenouille is beginning to attain true adulthood and coming
noticed in the first time, and not in a bad way. Grenouille passes of age. The child's reaction here shows just how effective
a wedding leaving the cathedral and joins the crowd waiting to Grenouille's perfume is, as it even makes him seem kind and
see the bride. The crowd doesn't notice he's any different, and trustworthy.
Grenouille feels immense joy. He feels a child at his knee and
lifts her up so she can see. Both the child and the child's mother
are thrilled.
When the bride and the wedding party finally walk through the It's important to note that Grenouille's success at passing means
crowd, Grenouille's joy turns to a "wicked feeling of triumph." that he sheds some of his fear of people. He understands now that
He finds he's no longer afraid of people and hardly hates them, he can control them and they no longer hold power over him.
but his contempt for humans remains strong, because they
smell and are so easily fooled.
When the crowd disperses, Grenouille enters the church and Grenouille is unique in that he has an acute awareness of the power
sits down. He feels content at his awareness of his genius and of scent, something that the novel posits is merely instinctual and
his newfound power. Grenouille knows now that he will be able unconscious for other people, and more importantly, Grenouille has
to create a superhuman, angel's scent, which will make anyone the skills to manipulate this power for himself.
who smells it immediately love Grenouille. It will be like his
inner fantasies in real life, and his power will be inescapable, as
inhalation is necessary to live.
Grenouille sits plotting and decides that he wants to create this As Grenouille grows and comes of age, his self-knowledge grows too.
perfume purely because he's evil. Inhaling the incense in the Here he explicitly sets himself as equal or superior even to God,
church, Grenouille thinks that God stinks and is either being based on God’s perceived acceptance of impure incense.
swindled, as his incense in the church isn't pure, or is a swindler
just like Grenouille is.

PART 2, CHAPTER 33
Taillade-Espinasse is thrilled with the perfume Grenouille Note the correlation here between suddenly acquiring a human
created for him, and is also thrilled to see the effect of the scent and developing a personality. This develops the idea that one's
earth-removed perfume on Grenouille, who appears to have scent is intrinsic to the kind of person they are.
acquired a personality in the last few hours.
One week after his first lecture, Taillade-Espinasse presents Grenouille's transformation is intense. He's essentially made the
Grenouille at the great hall of the local university. All of transition from sub-human, scentless child to normal, powerful, and
Montpellier, scientific and otherwise, attends, and is shocked scented adult. Grenouille's scent is powerful enough to reach the
by Grenouille's miraculous transformation. Rather than listen back of the room and soften everyone's expressions—it doesn’t just
to the marquis, Grenouille watches the effect of his perfume on make him seem human, but also affects the emotions and even
the crowd. As his scent reaches people, their faces soften. actions of others.
When the crowd cheers the marquis at the end of the lecture,
Grenouille knows that the cheering is really for himself,
Grenouille, and his perfume.
PART 2, CHAPTER 34
Grenouille, having achieved some fame in Montpellier, remains Montpellier proves to be a safe space for Grenouille to refine his
for several weeks. He tells his tale of being captured by robbers methods and techniques for passing as a normal human. He also
often, which provides him some practice in conversation (which learns how to most effectively interact with those around him, and
has never been Grenouille's strong suit) and importantly, allows begins to understand the extent of his power now that his fear of
him to practice lying. Really, Grenouille can tell people people has disappeared.
whatever he wants because once someone inhales his perfume,
they immediately trust him. The effect of this is that Grenouille
becomes confident in social situations.
In March, Grenouille leaves the town unnoticed, as he goes The reader is reminded that for the marquis, Grenouille was never
without his perfume that day. Taillade-Espinasse makes anything more than a means of proving his theory to the world.
inquiries, but eventually says that Grenouille left to deal with However, it's important to remember that the opposite is true as
family in Paris. Secretly he's annoyed, though, as he had well; Grenouille only wanted to profit from the marquis.
planned to parade Grenouille around the country to promote
his theory, but his fame rises anyway.
After founding a lodge dedicated to his theory in 1764, For the third time now, someone whom Grenouille came in contact
Taillade-Espinasse decides to create publicity for his theory with suffers a horrible death. This situates Grenouille as a true
that would overshadow even Grenouille's transformation. He bringer of death, and adds to the grotesque and fantastical nature
decides to scale the highest mountain in the Pyrenees, remain of the novel. However, the specifics here contribute to the
at the summit for three weeks, and return on Christmas Eve as underlying dark humor, as the marquis' desire to climb the
a man aged 20. His companions give up after the last town on mountain and return at the age of 20 is absolutely ridiculous.
the mountain, but the marquis strips off his clothes and
continues alone in the cold. He never returns, and his remains
are never found. His theory, however, lives on, and the narrator
says that even today, secret Tailladic lodges meet yearly to
climb the mountain and light a bonfire in the marquis' honor.

PART 3, CHAPTER 35
It takes Grenouille seven days to reach the town of Grasse, a Here, the reader is reminded that scent isn't a source of power for
small city nestled in a valley close to the sea but not at all Grenouille alone. Perfume and scent are entire economies unto
maritime. Grasse is the center for the production of scents, themselves, and people profit (financially) from the sale of perfume.
perfumes, and other such odorous items. Grenouille dabs These people, then, are accorded a great deal of power according to
himself with his human perfume and approaches the town. He the social mores of the time (and within the scent-influenced world
wishes only to learn the methods of producing scent that of the novel). Further, these wholesalers are attempting to "pass" as
Baldini told him about. After eating at an inn, Grenouille spends modest perfumers with their downplayed fronts. This mirrors
the afternoon wandering. He passes a number of perfumers' Grenouille's desire and attempt to pass as normal, despite
shops, as well as soapworks and scent wholesalers. Grenouille possessing immense and inhuman power.
realizes that, despite these wholesalers' modest facades, they
actually control the wholesale supply of scent, as they possess
the finest materials inside. Grenouille smells that these people
live in luxurious family homes at the back of the buildings.
Grenouille stops in front of one of these camouflaged fronts, Despite the number of years since Grenouille murdered the girl from
having caught wind of a scent like something he's smelled only the rue de Marais, her scent holds immense power over him still.
once before. He considers forcing his way into the front of the Grenouille's newfound knowledge of dealing with people and taming
building, but decides to find a way along the back, walking along his more brutal instincts is apparent in his decision to not force his
the wall of the city, which forms the back walls of the street's entrance into the house, but rather to go about finding the scent in a
gardens. After a minute, he finds the smell coming from the more covert manner.
building's garden, and blood rushes through Grenouille's body
and he experiences a sort of attack, losing his sense of where
he is and finding himself back on the rue de Marais in Paris. The
scent coming from the garden in Grasse is the scent of the girl
he murdered in Paris, and he finds tears of bliss in his eyes to
have rediscovered the scent.
Grenouille, dizzy, sinks into a crouch against the wall. He Note the amount of power that Grenouille asserts this girl will have
inhales short breaths and finds that the scent here in Grasse is in adulthood. This plays into the idea again that scent is all-
somewhat different, although this girl is certainly a redhead like powerful, and the color of this girl's hair begins to provide evidence
the last girl, with white skin and freckles, but this one is still a for the idea the redheaded girls and women have the best and most
child. Grenouille thinks that this child, barely beginning powerful scents (or at least to Grenouille).
puberty, already smells better than the girl from the rue de
Marais, and once she reaches adulthood, her scent will be
overwhelming to everyone, man or woman.
Grenouille decides he must possess the girl's scent and "peel it Grenouille's choice of language is grotesque and visceral, which
from her like skin," not destroying it like he did with the girl creates both a sense of disgust in the reader and foreshadows the
from the rue de Marais. He thinks that he doesn't yet know violence to come. It seems likely that Grenouille will be successful in
how to do this, but he has two years to learn. Grenouille stands this endeavor, but the reader isn't yet sure exactly how.
and moves on, entering the town from another gate and
rationalizing that he can't return to the garden, as the scent is
too exciting for him. Rather, he must throw himself into
learning how to extract scent.

PART 3, CHAPTER 36
Grenouille comes across a small perfumer's workshop and asks The ease with which Grenouille finds work indicates that his
for a job. The owner had died earlier that year but his widow, disguise of normalcy is working, and he's successful in appearing
Madame Arnulfi, is managing the business mostly alone. After competent but not threatening. Once again Grenouille is able to
some hemming and hawing, she finally agrees to take him on perceive hidden or secret things (like Druot’s affair with Madame
and offers him a small salary and a small cabin in which to live. Arnulfi) only through his nose.
Madame Arnulfi calls in Druot, her first journeyman, and
Grenouille smells that he spends a great deal of time in
Madame's bed. A massive man, Druot looks Grenouille up and
down and agrees to his hire.
The next day Grenouille begins work. It's the season for jonquil The descriptions of how the scent is actually extracted from the
flowers. They're delivered every morning and dumped into flowers adds to the grotesque and sensuous quality of the novel, as
melted pork lard and beef tallow, which Grenouille is tasked do the descriptions of Grenouille's interpretation: it's a process of
with stirring constantly. As the blossoms are stirred under, death and control.
their scent becomes impregnated in the oil. While the work is
very hard, Druot never helps stir. Grenouille is fascinated by
the process and doesn't object to the arrangement.
When Druot decides the oil is saturated with scent, he and Madame Arnulfi is evidently a smart businesswoman, and very
Grenouille pour the scent-laden pomade into stoneware much in charge of her business decisions. Like Grenouille and his
crocks, and Madame Arnulfi comes to label and record the caregivers before, she uses her situation as a widow to her
product. She then makes the rounds through the city, using her advantage and uses everyone, Druot and Grenouille included, to
plight as a widow to garner sympathy and make sales. If she build her fortune and her success.
gets wind that there will be no future scarcity to use to her
advantage, she instructs Druot to transform the pomade into
an “essence absolue.” Turning the pomade into essence absolue
entails a complicated process that yields only a few flacons of
the finest flower oil, which is worth a fortune.
PART 3, CHAPTER 37
Grenouille is willing to perform all the menial chores in the Grenouille makes this entirely about power. He appears to respect
following months, but his sense of smell allows him to notice Druot and his power, and understands that playing this role will
when oil is overheated, for example. Occasionally he suggests encourage Druot to give Grenouille more power. We see too that
this to Druot, who sees that Grenouille is respectful of his Grenouille is learning, and is certainly filing all this information
power of first journeyman and often correct in his suggestions. away for later use.
As such, Druot begins to leave more decisions to Grenouille,
and eventually most of the process.
During jasmine season, Grenouille learns that the flower is too This realization that the jasmine pomade isn't exactly the same
sensitive to be plunged into hot oil. Rather, the flowers are scent as the flower itself no doubt only fuels Grenouille's sense of
spread on glass plates that have been smeared with oil, and as superiority, as it's close enough to not be noticeable by the general
the flowers die, are replaced with fresh ones until the oil is populace. Again, notice that the language used to describe the
saturated. Grenouille recognizes that the pomade differs process is sensual yet grotesque.
slightly in scent from the flower itself, but is close enough to
fool the rest of the world.

Druot sees with the cold process that Grenouille is again better We again see that Grenouille is cultivating his act of being perfectly
than he is, and as such allows Grenouille to make all the normal and uninteresting, which allows him to work on his goals
decisions. Grenouille encourages Druot to regard him as an unnoticed. He understands that attending these meetings is
unambitious nitwit, and eventually the two get along very well. absolutely necessary for maintaining this façade, as it's important
Through the winter there is little to do in the shop, and Druot for him to be a known figure, seen in public, to then be labeled as
makes himself scarce. Grenouille doesn't go out except to normal.
journeymen's meetings, where he encourages the others to
think that he's uninteresting. They leave Grenouille alone, just
as he wants.
PART 3, CHAPTER 38
Grenouille spends his winter in the workshop, supposedly The reader knows that Grenouille is more than capable of creating a
attempting to invent a formula for a new cologne. In actuality, wonderful cologne, which draws the reader towards Grenouille's
he spends his time creating a number of personal odors for way of thinking that others are stupid and easily fooled.
himself. He makes one that allows him to be inconspicuous, one
that makes people think he's in a hurry, and one that imitates
Druot's odor of semen.
With the disguise of these perfumes, Grenouille is able to exist It's implied here that Grenouille's joy in these subtle scents and the
undisturbed. He devotes himself to the pursuit of subtle scents combinations thereof is pure and innocent, although the reader is
and systematically plans how to perfect his methods. He begins aware of what the sinister final goal is. Overall, this passage again
extracting scent from a brass doorknob by wrapping it in beef works to draw in the reader to empathize with Grenouille.
tallow. He moves on to capturing the scent of stone, and
creates a perfume of the olive grove behind the cloister in
town. These scents delight Grenouille.
Next, Grenouille moves on to living subjects. He hunts for small Suddenly, Grenouille's innocent experiments turn more sinister and
animals and drowns them in warm oil, and creeps into animals' horrifying as he tries to drown live rats in oil. These experiments lead
stalls at night to drape oily cloths over them. Animals, unlike the reader to wonder what method Grenouille will settle on for
inanimate objects, he finds reluctant. Farm animals rub off the human subjects.
cloths, and out of fear, rats defecate and sweat as he attempts
to submerge them in the warm oil, ruining it. Grenouille realizes
he must kill them first.
Grenouille targets a puppy, luring it away from its mother and Targeting a puppy mirrors Grenouille's targeting of young girls
dealing it a fatal blow as it eats a scrap of meat. He sandwiches throughout the novel. This scene shows Grenouille’s capacity for
the body between two greased plates and lets it sit until it cruelty, as he’s willing to do seemingly anything to pursue his goals.
begins to stink. He then distills the oil down into a tiny tube that
smells clearly of dog, and when he offers the tube to the
puppy's mother, she whimpers and won't leave the scent.

Cautiously, Grenouille moves on to humans, concerned The process here is fascinating as well as somewhat gross, and
primarily with testing his methods. He sticks tiny scraps of oily undeniably sinister. We see Grenouille's scientific mind at work in
cloth under benches in an inn, but these yield a scent more of his method of experiments that grow in complexity and focus in on
the inn than of humans themselves. Over Christmas, specific targets. Grenouille's focus on victims that "inspire love" asks
Grenouille leaves similar scraps under pews at the cathedral, the reader to question Grenouille's motives. Does he want them
and the resulting odor is resoundingly human. Finally, purely for himself so that he might be loved as well, or just because
Grenouille obtains bed sheets from a man who died of he enjoys these scents most and wants to possess them for himself?
consumption, and is able to extract the man's personal odor Alternately, does he want to deprive others of their inspiration for
from the sweaty sheets. He discovers the perfect type of oil to love?
use by paying a beggar woman to wear oily rags against her
skin. He stops at that, as his real goal is to extract the scent of
humans who inspire love.
PART 3, CHAPTER 39
In January, Madame Arnulfi marries Druot, who is promoted to This passage again draws the reader in while simultaneously
master perfumer and glover, although the Madame keeps her repelling them. Grenouille almost elicits sympathy and compassion
name and control of the finances. In March, Grenouille decides here, although the reader knows that he doesn't love the girl in a
to see how the mysterious girl's scent is developing. He's conventional sense. His desire for her is entirely possessive, and it’s
overwhelmed by the scent when he catches it, and again stands likely that she'll be murdered soon, making this passage infinitely
outside the garden wall. Rather than being intoxicated, more disturbing.
Grenouille is happy like a lover. He doesn't love the girl herself,
just her scent, but he swears that he'll bring home her scent
within the year.
That night in his cabin, Grenouille thinks of the girl's scent and This moment of questioning mirrors Grenouille's discovery that he
immerses himself in it. When he begins to fall asleep, however, has no scent in its scope and effect on Grenouille's goals and
the scent disappears and Grenouille is terrified. He wonders reasoning. We see that he's gaining self awareness here as he
what will happen when he runs out of the scent, thinking he'll questions his reasoning for even following through with these goals.
have to live with the knowledge that he had at one time
possessed the perfume. He wonders what he needs the
perfume for at all.
At that thought, Grenouille feels chilled and wonders how long Grenouille is overwhelmingly self-absorbed to think of himself as a
he can keep the scent. He wants to walk out and make the trek hero for considering letting go of this scent. For Grenouille, though,
to his old cave, where he could fall asleep and die, but he resists the idea is like a religious sacrifice.
the desire, as it's a “known” desire. Possessing and then losing a
scent, however, is unknown, and he reasons that it seems more
desirable. Grenouille "the tick," having reasoned to let himself
drop one last time, lays back and thinks himself heroic.
Grenouille continues his line of reasoning and considers how to The juxtaposition of the language of beautiful jewelry and scent
make the perfume of the girl last longer. He finally sees that with Grenouille's desire for these female scents adds to the horror at
using the scent in pure form is crude and unsophisticated, and his plan. It also foreshadows his next moves to obtain "other
decides he must "set it like the most precious gemstone" in a ingredients."
setting of other scents, and for this he needs other ingredients.

PART 3, CHAPTER 40
In May, a farmer discovers the body of a naked 15-year-old girl This chapter is a study of human nature and the nature of fear itself.
in a rose field, killed by a blow to the back of her head. The girl's The people of Grasse cannot conceptualize that it's possibly one of
hair has been shaved and taken by the murderer, along with her their own who is murdering girls, and so they shift the blame from
clothes. The people of Grasse suspect the Gypsies, despite the one group to the next. The reader is aware that Grenouille is the
fact that there haven't been Gypsies in the area since murderer, of course, and we finally see his methods in action on
December, so they move on to suspecting the Italian migrant humans, now that he has learned all he needed to.
workers, and then a number of other groups. When the Italians
arrive to hire themselves out for picking, they are hired but
treated with caution. Not long after, two young Italian girls are
found murdered in the same fashion as the first girl.
Fear spreads like wildfire. Farmers allow the migrant workers By not including mention of Grenouille specifically, the narrator
to sleep in their barns, patrols are set up in neighborhoods, and garners sympathy and identification with the people of Grasse. The
a curfew is placed on females after dusk. However, all these reader also knows that Grenouille is so effective because of his
measures prove ineffective, as a young girl is murdered weekly sense of smell and lack of scent.
throughout the summer. All the girls are beautiful and
approaching womanhood, mostly dark and “sugary.”
Anyone who can afford to do so sends their daughters away This moment shows the power of religion and government in action,
from Grasse. The police lieutenant is replaced, and his but we also see how smart Grenouille is about these murders. By
successor has the victims' bodies examined. They're all found ceasing his killing spree after the bishop excommunicates the
to be virgins, which only increases the sense of horror. The murderer, Grenouille effectively lulls everyone into believing that the
town council petitions the local bishop to excommunicate the church truly has power over the murderer.
murderer, and at the end of September, the bishop does
so—and the murders cease immediately. The murderer had
killed 24 girls.
In December, reports from Grenoble indicate that there is a Nobody in Grasse wants to believe that the murderer is still among
serial murderer there strangling and tearing his female victims' them, choosing to believe instead something that allows them to
clothes, and despite the very different methods, the people of easily sleep at night. Again the descriptions of human nature seem
Grasse are convinced that the murderer is the same. In January to confirm some of Grenouille’s misanthropic views.
of 1766, security measures in Grasse are lifted. However,
anyone with a daughter approaching the victims’ age still fears
for her safety.
PART 3, CHAPTER 41
One man in Grasse, Antoine Richis, doesn't trust the peace. Richis has a very complicated relationship to Laure, whom the
He's a widower who intends to remarry so that he can produce reader is led to assume is Grenouille's girl in the garden. Like
sons and climb the social ladder, but he wants to marry off his everyone else in the novel, Richis sees Laure only as a means of
daughter Laure first. Richis is very rich, and Laure is his prize advancement for himself, as he can profit from her marriage to
possession. She's exceptionally beautiful, and even Richis someone of high social standing (but he also perversely sees her as a
himself finds himself sexually attracted to her at times. He had means of pleasure that he must deny himself).
increased his home's security over the summer but hadn't
feared for Laure, as she wasn't quite old enough at the time. He
also found the town's behavior despicable and wanted to set an
example.

PART 3, CHAPTER 42
However, one day in March, Richis sits in his salon and watches The narrator is beginning to draw similarities between Richis and
Laure walk in the garden. She disappears behind a hedge and Grenouille with the device of the terrifying dream to incite action.
takes a moment too long to reappear, frightening Richis. That Both are powerful figures, and Richis shares some of Grenouille's
night he has a terrible dream in which he finds Laure murdered beliefs that the general populace is easily fooled.
in her bedroom. He bursts into Laure's room to find her asleep
and alive, and returns to his bedroom.
Richis thinks that he never believed the rumor that the Richis assumes that by simply meeting the murderer in intellectual
murderer had left the town, and decides that he's surely still fortitude, he can outsmart him. Note that Richis feels he must keep
around. Richis also thinks that the murderer has a system, as all his daughter alive in order to further his own business and social
the victims are beautiful and youthful. He decides that the climbing ventures, not for Laure's happiness or for the sake of
victims are part of a grand plan to assemble a picture of believing she's deserving of life regardless of her usefulness.
absolute beauty, and concludes that Laure must be the
crowning jewel and the murderer's final victim. Richis feels
superior to the murderer having had this thought, and he sees
the situation as though he and the murderer are business
competitors. He vows to keep Laure alive, as he needs her to
accomplish his goals.
PART 3, CHAPTER 43
In the middle of the night, Richis wakes his servants and tells Richis recognizes that it's Laure's youth and virginity that makes her
them he plans to take Laure to Grenoble. They leave by eight in a target for the murderer, at least based on his past murders. This
the morning, and the town of Grasse suspects that Laure will raises the question, then, of whether simply not being a virgin would
not return. Outside of Grasse, Richis instructs his servants to truly alter Laure's scent enough to save her—is there something
continue to Grenoble, and he turns the other direction with about sexual virginity that makes one’s scent especially powerful, or
Laure and her handmaid. Richis plans to hide Laure at the especially attractive to Grenouille? Richis's plan indicates just how
monastery of Saint-Honorat, and then arrange her marriage to important Laure is to his life goals, as he's willing to make this more
a baron's son on the condition that the two will be married expensive investment in order to insure both her life and his ability
within ten days and consummate their marriage on the day of to use her marriage for his own gains.
the wedding. Richis knows the price for marrying Laure like this
will be higher than if he waits a little longer, but he also knows
that Laure being married and possibly pregnant will save her
from the murderer.
The narrator says that while the plan was well thought out and This statement creates a sense of foreboding. While it seems likely
Richis' logic is sound, Richis and Laure are traveling too slowly that Laure will not survive the novel, Richis' plan adds suspense.
for Laure to be considered safe yet.
PART 3, CHAPTER 44
While Laure and Richis are leaving town, Grenouille is in the The narrator is setting Grenouille up for disappointment and fear
Arnulfi workshop processing jonquils, in good spirits because here, as Laure is slipping from his grasp unbeknownst to him. Notice
he has 24 flacons of the perfumes of his earlier victims, and that by going without perfume, Grenouille is now using his lack of
plans to possess the final scent today. He plans to sneak into scent to his advantage.
the Richis house by wearing no perfume, and then sneak into
Laure's bedroom that night to murder her.

Grenouille finishes his work around noon and steps outside. Grenouille is too powerful to be tricked by Richis's story that he and
Smelling the air, he knows Laure is gone and panics Laure are headed for Grenoble. This begins to assert Grenouille's
momentarily. Druot returns from lunch and mentions in dominance over even the very intelligent and powerful Richis.
passing that Richis and his daughter left for Grenoble that
morning. Grenouille runs out of one of the town gates and
smells Laure's scent coming from the opposite direction from
Grenoble.
Grenouille runs to his cabin, gathers his supplies, and follows By any other metric, Richis is doing everything right to protect
Laure's scent south. He catches the runaways quickly. As Laure, but it seems that Grenouille’s mastery of scent makes him
evening comes, Grenouille goes to an inn and says he's a practically all-powerful.
journeyman tanner, and they offer him a stall in the barn. Two
hours later, Richis and Laure arrive at the inn. Upon hearing
there is a tanner sleeping in the barn, Richis goes out to inspect
the man and finds him sleeping. Later that night, he locks Laure
in her room from the outside and goes to bed, satisfied with
how events are playing out.
PART 3, CHAPTER 45
In the stall in the barn, Grenouille begins spreading oily paste The use of animal fat to extract scent adds to the visceral, grotesque
over fine linen, making it thicker in places where it will pick up feeling that the novel cultivates.
the most scent. When he finishes, he folds the cloth, gathers his
other supplies, and leaves the barn. He finds a ladder, props it
against Laure's open window, and climbs up.
Grenouille watches Laure sleep for a minute and then clubs her This murder is easy, practically speaking, for Grenouille. We see how
on the back of her head. He hates the sound, but when it's over little regard he has for Laure or her body in his rough handling of her,
the room is completely quiet, since Laure has stopped indicating again how little he thinks of people apart from their
breathing. Grenouille opens his cloth, cuts Laure's nightgown scents.
off, and rolls her up in the oiled linen. Only her hair sticks out.
For six hours, Grenouille stays awake and watches Laure from Grenouille's process is entirely unveiled for the reader, making for a
an armchair, covered with her dress. He congratulates himself reading experience that is repulsive and fascinating at the same
on how well things are going. Grenouille doesn't think of the time. Again, the language Grenouille uses (particularly "harvest")
future; rather, he thinks of his past with satisfaction. He decides indicates that he thinks of his victims as nothing more than
that fate certainly smiled on him to allow him to harvest Laure's ingredients, not as valuable people.
scent, and he thanks himself for being what he is. He closes his
eyes, and at one point touches Laure's swaddled foot with his
own foot.
PART 3, CHAPTER 46
Before daybreak, Grenouille gets up and pulls the cloth off of At this point Laure is totally dead and even inhuman, as she's devoid
Laure's body. He scrapes the last fat scraps off of her skin and of scent as well. In this way she becomes like Grenouille in her
wipes her down, gathers her undershirt, nightgown, and hair, scentless-ness.
and rolls them up with the cloth. He doesn't look back at her as
he crawls out the window.

A scullery maid notices the ladder a while later but thinks All appears to be well until Richis's dream comes to life in front of
nothing of it. Richis awakens hours later to bright sunlight, after his eyes. The use of dreams in the novel provides this effective tool
sleeping soundly for the first time in months. He dresses and of foreshadowing, and allows the narrator to draw on the
goes to wake Laure. She doesn't answer when he knocks on the characters' vivid dreams to add weight to what happens in real life.
door, and he unlocks it. When he swings the door open, the
room is sparkling and Laure is dead, naked and hairless, and
Richis is reminded of his earlier nightmare.
PART 3, CHAPTER 47
The news of Laure's death spreads through Grasse. The fear The town begins to question their faith in God and religion, as
from the summer before returns with a vengeance, and is more Grenouille proved to them that God and the church actually had no
terrifying this time because the bishop's excommunication sway or control over the murderer. Laure's murder is even more
evidently didn't work. It's decided that the murderer must be in terrifying, as it's not just God's power that was nullified, but also
league with the devil. People pray in church, others in occult that of a very powerful man.
groups band together, and learned men employ science.
Everyone awaits the murderer's next victim.
The authorities, however, don't get swept up in the hysteria; Grenouille's quick capture is suspicious to the reader, as it's obvious
rather, the neighboring towns band together to catch the killer. that Grenouille is capable of leaving town unnoticed and escaping
They fear a civil uprising, especially since the killer had been justice. This makes the reader question what Grenouille's plan
sighted this time. Several individuals are arrested following the possibly is, now that he has his final scent for his beautiful perfume.
posting of arrest warrants, and the offer of a reward is made on
Richis's behalf. Grenouille is not one of the original suspects.
Finally, however, Grenouille is arrested. The police search his
cabin and find Laure's and the other girls' hair and dresses, as
well as Grenouille's club.
PART 3, CHAPTER 48
At first, the townsfolk don't believe that the killer had been Remember the evidence we've already been given about the effects
caught, but once the town displays the dresses and the hair, of Grenouille's perfumes (making people think he's in a hurry, or
they insist on seeing the murderer himself. Finally, the town garnering sympathy). While this doesn't seem to be Grenouille's
judge agrees to showcase Grenouille. When he appears the final perfume, it's evident that the crowd's reaction is due to
crowd goes silent, thinking that this man cannot possibly be a Grenouille's purposeful use of a particular scent.
murderer. Once Grenouille is returned to his cell, however, the
crowd becomes angry and demands Grenouille's blood.
The proceedings against Grenouille move quickly due to Grenouille's trial and torture serve to put distance and difference
overwhelming evidence and his free confession of guilt. When between him and the general population. It's simply inconceivable
asked for a motive, Grenouille says simply that he needed the to them that he just needed them for no reason, but they also never
girls. He's subjected to torture and when his answer doesn't suspect the true reason why he "needed" them badly enough to kill
change, the judge deems him insane. In April, Grenouille is read them.
the verdict, which states that he shall be executed within 48
hours. He will be hanged on a cross and his joints will be
broken, and he'll be left to suffer and die.

A priest is sent to hear Grenouille's confession, but gets Again, religion holds no meaning or power for Grenouille. We see
nothing. Over the next two days, people come to see the how valuable of a prisoner Grenouille is, as his guards fear for his
murderer, and the guards enjoy booming profits. The guards safety and know he must be kept alive in order to appease the
don't allow anyone to enter the cell or offer Grenouille food, as crowd.
they fear that someone will poison him.
The parade grounds are readied for the execution. A scaffold is This is at once extremely morbid and somewhat humorous, as the
built, as well as a grandstand for nobles. Vendors stock up on execution is turned into what is nearly recognizable as a sporting or
their wares. Monsieur Papon, the executioner, has a squared entertainment event. It's not simply the death of the murderer
iron rod built with which to strike the prisoner. The townsfolk that's important, it's the spectacle of it.
prepare as though for a holiday, readying their finest clothes
and arranging religious services for after the execution.
At Richis' house, he forbids such preparations and feels disgust In Richis's case, the narrator is drawing more comparisons between
at the people's glee. Having been given Laure's hair and him and Grenouille. Like Grenouille, Richis doesn't want to consider
nightgown, he spreads them on her bed and keeps watch. He another human being as a person; he simply wants power and
finds himself disgusted by the murderer and doesn't want to control over him.
consider him a person; he only wants to see him perish.
PART 3, CHAPTER 49
The execution is scheduled for five in the afternoon, but This sequence is absurd, but we're reminded of the power that
spectators begin arriving in the morning. Not long after noon, Grenouille holds as all these people have come to see him die, and
more than ten thousand spectators fill the surrounding justice served. Notice too that Richis isn't participating in the
meadows and fields. After three, Monsieur Papon appears to crowd's frenzy, again holding himself above the common populace.
applause, and he and his henchmen set up the cross. The
grandstands begin to fill at four, and Richis and the bishop
appear last.
Ten minutes later, the crowd breaks into a frenzy when they The crowd's bloodthirstiness necessitates Grenouille's arrival in a
hear and see the police lieutenant's carriage coming down the carriage, which continues to provide concrete symbols of
road. The carriage is the only way to guarantee Grenouille's Grenouille's importance. He's also unbound, alluding again to his
safety from the bloodthirsty crowd. It stops halfway between power.
the cross and the grandstand, and Grenouille appears from it,
well dressed and unbound.
A miracle happens then, as the ten thousand people suddenly The reader knows that the crowd's sudden and fantastical reaction
find that they truly believe Grenouille did not commit the is due entirely to Grenouille's perfume made from Laure and the 24
murders. Monsieur Papon feels the same way, and doesn't other girls. It's becoming obvious that Grenouille certainly isn't
think he can take his rod to this innocent man. The crowd going to die today.
grows weak and feels love for Grenouille.

The footman next to Grenouille sinks until he's lying on his belly The perfume is powerful enough to make grown men cry, and inspire
on the ground. The lieutenant and officer of the guard weep the bishop to religious rapture for the first time. The author here
and wring their hands, and the noble ladies sigh and clasp their equates sex and passion with love, as Grenouille's perfume inspires
hands, while the gentlemen jump up and sit down again. The love in all who smell it, and this then leads to a literal orgy. By not
Bishop looks ill, but he's actually basking in religious rapture. speaking, Grenouille allows the individuals to experience the
The common folk, on the other hand, are filled with sexual perfume individually, rather than as he might instruct them to.
desire for Grenouille. This turns Grenouille's execution into the
largest orgy since before Christ. People engage with each other
with no regard to who their partner is, but just as the
opportunity presents itself.
Grenouille stands and appears to smile, but he's actually Grenouille is tapping into the power of religion and passion with his
smirking and considering his triumph and complete contempt perfume, and notably, his inner fortress has now come to life in the
for the people around him. He made the people love and idolize real world. He's been dreaming about this orgy for years at this
him, and he feels greater than a god. He knows that if he asked point, but notice that he still experiences contempt for these people
them to, the people would renounce God and worship and how easily they are manipulated.
Grenouille the Great instead, who is now manifest in the real
world.
Grenouille feels terror as well as he sees the effect of his Grenouille finally realizes that he hates people without exception,
perfume, and he experiences fully his contempt for humankind, even though he now has the power to control them entirely.
which sours his triumph. He realizes that he never wanted love Grenouille's dream returning again mirrors the return of Richis's
and only ever found gratification in hatred, and he wishes to dream of Laure dying, as the dreams are many times more terrifying
exterminate these people. The fog from his dream begins to in real life. In this case, Grenouille faints to escape both his terror
rise again, more terrifying than the dream, though, as this is and his hatred, even at his moment of greatest triumph.
real life. Grenouille sees Richis running towards him and thinks
that Richis will kill him, but Richis embraces him and asks for
forgiveness. Grenouille faints.
PART 3, CHAPTER 50
When Grenouille wakes, he finds himself in Laure Richis's bed. Finally, Grenouille has achieved control over the man most like
Richis himself sits next to the bed. Before even opening his himself in his distaste for other people. This scene continues to push
eyes, Grenouille smells the room and finds that Laure's scent is the limits of magical realism and absurdity in the novel, as
coming splendidly out of the perfume. When he opens his eyes, Grenouille’s perfume seems to have no limits in its power to affect
Richis explains that the verdict was overturned, and he asks people’s emotions and actions.
Grenouille to stay in Grasse and be his son. Grenouille agrees
and then pretends to fall asleep again.
Grenouille pretends to sleep until he smells nobody else in the It's unclear what Grenouille is going to do now that he's become
house, and then gets up and leaves through the terrace. He disillusioned even with his perfume. The entire town is still
passes through the parade grounds and takes in the forms of imprisoned by the perfume, however, but they experience intense
drunk, sleeping people, half exposed from their festivities the shame once they realize what's happened—they’ve acted purely out
day before. When the people wake, they all feel hung over and of instinct and passion, totally casting aside their usual social mores.
disentangle themselves from their intimate embraces with
their neighbors. Everyone returns home and they don't leave
home until evening or the following day.

The town council meets and decides to dismantle the scaffold Druot is the last person to be touched by Grenouille's curse. It's of
and grandstand. The judges and magistrates meet and shut course obvious to the reader that Druot is innocent, but the crowds
Grenouille's file, and the next day they arrest Druot, since he thirst for bloody justice must still be appeased. Like all the others,
owns the cabin where the hair and clothing of the victims were Druot's death is gruesome, untimely, and tied to his social
found. He confesses after 14 hours of torture and they hang climbing—had he not married Madame Arnulfi, it would be her
him the next day. Grasse returns to normal and everyone instead.
forgets that the incident ever happened.
PART 4, CHAPTER 51
Grenouille travels by night. When he passes the Plomb du Grenouille is entirely disillusioned with life as a whole, as he's
Cantal he considers returning to the mountaintop, but decides discovered that despite his immense power and control over the
that life there in solitude, as well as his life with people, is realm of scent, it's impossible for him to truly know himself in the
unlivable. He wants to go to Paris and die. Grenouille still only way he values. At this point, while he still hasn't accomplished
carries a flacon of his perfume. He used only a drop in Grasse, acquiring truly a human scent, Grenouille can be said to have “come
and knows he could enslave the world with what he has left. of age.” He simply knows that he can't know, and thus, his life is over.
However, Grenouille realizes that while the perfume can
inspire love in others, it can't make him able to smell himself,
and if he can't know himself through smell, life isn't worth living.
He thinks that he's the only person the perfume can't enslave.
On June 25, 1766, Grenouille enters Paris early in the morning. Remember that Grenouille was born near this cemetery. It was his
It's a hot day and Paris already stinks. Grenouille wanders birthplace, and it's becoming obvious that it's also going to be his
around and settles near the Cimetière des Innocents, watching place of death as well. Grenouille also has completed a full
the landscape of graves and bones. After midnight, once the geographic circle, making this place even more fitting as his place of
gravediggers leave, the cemetery comes alive with murderers, death.
thieves, and prostitutes. Grenouille leaves his hiding spot and
joins the group around a fire.
Grenouille unstoppers his perfume and pours it over himself. Grenouille only used a drop of his perfume in Grasse, and the effect
For a moment, the group falls back in awe, but then they are of the rest of the bottle is infinitely more intense (and brutal) than
drawn in to Grenouille. They surround him, and finally begin the orgy incited in Grasse. The crowd becomes like Grenouille
attacking and tearing at him. They hack at him with knives, himself in their frenzy, so incited by passion that they kill and
divide Grenouille's body, and eat it. Within a half hour, physically possess (by eating him) the object of their desire,
Grenouille is completely gone. When the cannibals reconvene destroying it in the process. Notice that Grenouille not only destroys
after their meal, they say nothing in their embarrassment. They himself as he truly comes of age, he destroys his power as well. His
grow happy and then proud, and smile at each other, knowing perfume can't be used by anyone else now that it's gone, and while
that they've done something out of love for the first time. Grenouille lived on hate alone, in death, he managed to inspire love
in those who never truly felt or acted on it before, signifying even
further the power of his perfume and of scent in general.

To cite any of the quotes from Perfume covered in the Quotes

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MLA Süskind, Patrick. Perfume. Publisher. 0.
Brock, Zoë. "Perfume." LitCharts. LitCharts LLC, 23 May 2017. CHICA
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Web. 21 Apr 2020.
Süskind, Patrick. Perfume. PubCity: Publisher. 0.
CHICA
CHICAGO
GO MANU
MANUAL
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Brock, Zoë. "Perfume." LitCharts LLC, May 23, 2017. Retrieved
April 21, 2020. https://www.litcharts.com/lit/perfume.

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GROWING UP AND BECOMING HUMAN POWER AND CONTROL

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Part 1, Chapter 3 Quotes

Explanation and Analysis

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Part 1, Chapter 8 Quotes

Explanation and Analysis Related Characters: Giuseppe Baldini (speaker), Pélissier

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Explanation and Analysis

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Explanation and Analysis Part 3, Chapter 35 Quotes

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Page Number: 188

Related Characters: Jean-Baptise Grenouille Part 3, Chapter 49 Quotes

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Explanation and Analysis

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SUMMARY AND ANAL

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