Perfume

Reading Log #5 – Conclusion

by: Anastasia Basuki (@bonananastasia) – April 15th, 2019

First published in 1985, Süskind's Perfume was considered somewhat bizarre – it was a fictional novel that greatly showcased Süskind's versatility as an author, literary-style wise. Judith Ryan of Harvard University even took to expressing, "The author has demonstrated a cannibalization of past styles taken to an extreme of flamboyant virtuosity."

Perfume is considered a postmodernist work, consisting of an unconventional mixture of historical, horror, and scientific factors integrated within the storyline. This distinctive piece unsurprisingly generated mixed reactions; a portion of literary critics voiced dissatisfaction of Süskind's chosen theme and overall execution of the novel, some describing it as 'trivial' and a 'parodic to twit the reader'. Said portion of critics do not speak for the entirety of the public, however, as Perfume later went on to become a major commercial success. Furthermore, a journal article written by Damon O. Rarick succinctly summarizes the positive reception of Süskind's Perfume from published reviews, with Rarick himself ultimately asserting his conclusion on the matter of response towards the work by stating, "It seems almost that critics colluded to reduce its murderous narrative literary vignette, perhaps taken in by its rich allusions and promising aesthetic mechanisms."

Personally, I thoroughly enjoyed burning through the novel's 255 pages; Perfume had proven an exceptionally captivating read – the unpredictability of Süskind's writing has left me awestruck. Süskind successfully produced a thrilling marvel of literature that constantly kept readers on edge; the narrative itself is of a dark and sinister appeal, with a well-developed protagonist and gripping plot. The use of language throughout is especially exemplary – Süskind explores and experiments with a large variety of literary devices, from metaphors and similes to allusions and allegories. Additionally, Süskind's manipulation of the third person point of view is distinctive as well; there were various instances of Süskind breaking past the pretense of narrating the story and somewhat directly communicating with the readers, in turn, emphasizing Süskind's role as the omniscient narrator. Such an instance may be seen as Süskind writes, "In the period of which we speak, there reigned in the cities a stench barely conceivable to us modern men and women" (3). Note the manner in which Süskind utilizes the pronouns 'we' and 'us'. A clever storytelling approach, if I may say; Süskind's decision to draw the readers into the story by offering a moment of relatability ensures that they feel a part of the narrative, thus increasing the audience engagement levels.

Another interesting feature of Perfume is Süskind's very method of tackling the story. Although Süskind does not directly write as the main character or protagonist, Perfume heavily revolves around the life of Grenouille, the protagonist and, well, murderer. The book dives straight into Grenouille's backstory, presenting a clear development of Grenouille as character – starting off at his birth and closing at his demise. Presumably, Süskind's intentions behind the choice of focal perspective is neither to seek justification for nor understanding of Grenouille's nefarious actions, but to emphasize the recurring theme of indifference or lack of humanity.

On that note, the correlation between Grenouille's abominable disposition and Süskind's latent criticism of society's morals –or rather, the lack thereof– merits a discussion. Isolation from society and deprivation of love, which eventually resulted in a childhood trauma, may be surmised to have allowed the gradual growth of Grenouille's misanthropic self. Should this truly be the case, then it's likely Süskind wishes to impart a message on the basis of, "Monsters are not born – they are made."

Made by mankind and their imposed ideologies, that is.

Anyhow, I would like to finalize the last of my reading logs with two nods of gratitude – the first to Mr. Wilson for recommending this wonderful read, and the second to Patrick Süskind, the mastermind behind it all.

Reading Log #4 – Characters

by: Anastasia Basuki (@bonananastasia) – April 1st, 2019

Süskind’s Perfume is a fictional narrative that revolves around the life of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, our protagonist and, well, murderer. Numerous speculations have been made amongst readers as to where the concept behind Grenouille’s origination as a character came from, with many pointing towards the direction of Grenouille being an allegorical representation or depiction of the infamous leader of Germany's Nazi party, Adolf Hitler. It is an entirely viable theory - both were, dare I say, society’s rejects, and both possessed frighteningly twisted personas. Interlacing these similarities with our previous discussion on the themes, the implicit sociopathic and supercilious traits somewhat shared by these two individuals are highly reflected in the themes of both 'Indifference & Lack of Humanity' and ‘Power & Control’.

The entire development of Grenouille’s character arc is a play of vehement contempt borne of an imperishable superiority complex; mankind, with all their imperfections, was quite literally the bane of his existence. An instance where Süskind truly accentuates Grenouille’s haughty and pompous attitude towards others of his own kind is Süskind’s assertion of, “They were nothing, and he was everything!” (155)

Süskind's frank characterization of Grenouille facilitates the illustration our protagonist's narcissistic mindset, which is not unlike Hitler’s – he was, after all, a man who greatly believed in racial purity and the ‘Master Race’. Nonetheless, the different ideologies of these two men are not superficial to the principal point Süskind has continuously been insinuating; the most relevant similitude to understand is Grenouille and Hitler’s exorbitant vanity – a personal quality that may be attributed to a pivotal shift in the desire to be accepted by society, first manifesting as a mere longing for acceptance prior to evolving into an ominous hunger for power, authority, and overall supremacy.

These conjectures come together to criticize society's role in the creation of such monsters, human in appearance, yet inhumane in nature; the entirety of mankind has been and still is far from guiltless. The constructs of society encouraged Grenouille’s downward spiral into a life predominantly fueled by hatred.

Süskind takes things a step further, however, as he mocks the mortal vice of acquiescence and obliviousness. The closing of Perfume especially, is a great example of Süskind’s underlying derision – in particular, when Süskind writes, “They were overcome by a powerful sense of goodwill, of tenderness, of crazy, childish infatuation, yes, God help them, of love for this little homicidal man, and they were unable, unwilling to do anything about it” (236).

Now, linking back to Grenouille’s potential real-life muse, Hitler, Süskind seems to, at times, be alluding to the notorious dictator’s public reception amongst his people. Anthropologist Lionel Tiger had discussed the parallel between Hitler's charismatic influence over others to fictional-figure Grenouille's and went to state, "Despite what monstrous things he said and did, he remained attractive to those around him."

Sound familiar?

In any case, Grenouille’s ultimate rise in power is the fundamental constituent of the theme, ‘Climbing up the Social Ladder’’; Grenouille, the deviant tick and lowest of lows, came to be regarded as a divine being, akin to God’s venerated angels through the power of scent. The excerpt, “He, Jean Baptiste Grenouille, born with no odor of his own on the most stinking spot in this world, amid garbage, dung, and putrefaction, raised without love, with no warmth of a human soul, surviving solely on impudence and the power of loathing, small, hunchbacked, lame, ugly, shunned, an abomination within and without – he had managed to make the world admire him” (239), is very much indicative of such ascension.

Two additional characters that may be touched upon briefly are Grimal the tanner and Giuseppe Baldini, who had –in his prime– been one of the most acclaimed perfumers in Paris. Süskind introduced these two men as individuals who care little outside of their own, personal gain; both Grimal and Baldini sought only what was beneficial to their intentions of acquiring wealth. In other words, Süskind denoted these characters to be the epitome or embodiment of the fend-for-oneself mentality adopted by society; Grimal and Baldini were just like the others, sustaining the toxic outlook regarding the importance of hierarchy and their prerogative to preside over those lower in status. Grimal and Baldini were part of the same mold that shaped Grenouille –considered the reject and outcast– into a man who knew nothing of love and compassion.

Who only knew of apathy, and the pursuing of aberrant ambitions without thought of consequence.

Reading Log #3 – Theme

by: Anastasia Basuki (@bonananastasia) – March 25th, 2019

Perfume, a novel following the life of a fictional murderer, tackles various different themes throughout its storyline. These themes are very much interwoven with Süskind's intentions of delivering a narrative through said murderer's outlook and view of society. Described below are three of the most prominent themes that can easily be perceived when plowing through those paper pages.

Indifference & Lack of Humanity: This particular theme is practically embedded in the protagonist's persona; it's one of Grenouille's defining traits – one that Süskind continuously emphasizes for the duration of Grenouille's character development, from the days of his youth to his final breath. Grenouille, gifted with extraordinary olfactory gifts and knew little of love and empathy, slowly came to retain an intense loathing of mankind due to their overwhelming, human odour – an attribute he himself did not possess, once more marking his difference from the "other" human beings. Such hatred can be denoted as Süskind writes, “He did not love them himself, he hated them” (240).

It's quite interesting to see how Grenouille's indifferent attitude towards the world as he saw it, enabled the development of a narcissistic personality atop his underlying, sociopathic disposition. For instance, Süskind took the opportunity to illustrate the workings within Grenouille's mind as he articulates, "He had trouble keeping from spurting it like venom and spleen over all these people and screaming exultantly in their faces: that he was not afraid of them; that he hardly hated them anymore; but that his contempt for them was profound and total, because they were so dumb they stank; because they could be deceived by him, let themselves be deceived; because they were nothing, and he was everything!" (155)

Again, highlighting a form of superior complex, which leads us to the next theme: power & control.

Power & Control: Power and control most definitely corresponds with the social hierarchy-related theme of status movement, discussed further below. Anyhow, Süskind seemingly sought to accentuate the sovereignty of scent, which isn't much of a surprise – after all, the novel itself is very much olfactory-related. However, Süskind takes things to a whole new level when he claims, “He who ruled scent ruled the hearts of men.” (155)

Furthermore, Süskind explores the growth or procurement of authority and leverage through Grenouille as well, depicting him as a twisted soul – a monster forged by society's spite; so deprived of love was he, that he craved such sentiment with utter voracity. Süskind focuses on this fierce craving and longing to be loved and not only accepted but revered – a side of Grenouille which can be seen when Süskind allows readers a glimpse of the lad's ambitions, “They would love him as they stood under the spell of his scent, not just accept him as one of them, but love him to the point of insanity, of self-abandonment, they would quiver with delight, scream, weep for bliss, they would sink to their knees just as if under God’s cold incense, merely able to smell him, Grenouille!” (155).

Climbing up the Social Ladder: Social movement is an especially dominant and recurring theme in Süskind's Perfume. Returning to the previously discussed concept of the context and significance of social hierarchy and one's status/rank in 18th century France – Grenouille's gradual climb up society's ladder becomes increasingly evident as the narrative goes on; the novel first pans out with its protagonist –Grenouille– standing by the foot of society's ladder, merely an outcast and aberration of a human. However, this changes considerably as the story progresses, ultimately leading to Grenouille's rise to a standing skin to a divine being.

The first, apparent advancement in status occurred during Grenouille's time as a mere tanner working under Grimal, the callous overseer. Having proved himself a compliant and obedient laborer, Grenouille eventually earned Grimal's grudging respects; Süskind imparts, "Grimal no longer kept him as just any animal, but as a useful house pet" (32).

At length, Grenouille's ascension to pinnacle of society's ranks was attained as he managed to achieve what he himself considered to be a ‘Promethean feat'. With his newly acquired stature and, frankly, frightening influence over those who flocked to his sides, Grenouille's ego burgeoned; Süskind proclaims to further attest to Grenouille's supremacy, “A nod of his head and they would all renounce their God and worship him, Grenouille the Great” (240).

I suppose it's fair to say, Grenouille had come a very, very long way from where he began.

Reading Log #2 – Setting

by: Anastasia Basuki (@bonananastasia) – March 18th, 2019

Süskind's Perfume is set in 18th century France– a few decades prior to the French Revolution that later rocked the kingdom to its bones. The novel begins with Grenouille's unconventional birth at a grimy fish market at the rue aux Fers, right by his mother's own stall. It most definitely is an interesting choice of setting, given the novel's implication and emphasis on scents – a fish market situated in close vicinity of a mass graveyard is, after all, bound to be a place of strong, fetid odor. Imagine, the acrid reek of rotting fish and human carcasses here, there, everywhere; Süskind himself described the site as, "The most putrid spot in the whole kingdom" (4).

Though such claim may have been somewhat hyperbolical, this particular choice of location seems to primarily serve a purpose as a symbolic element – the fish market might represent the lowest of society's lows, or as they say, "The bottom of the ladder."

It's a plausible premise, especially with regard to the time period; French society during the pre-revolutionary era was no different than any other monarchial nations. Peasants constituted the large majority of French subjects – indeed, poverty was rife amongst the people. Conversely, the wealthy and considerably influential aristocrats lived a prosperous life on the upper end of France's feudalistic social system; the economic gap of inequality was vast, and the uneven distribution of wealth eventually came to be an instrumental factor of French social hierarchy.

The status gap is further emphasized through Süskind's decision to include the Pont-au-Change, a bridge pronounced to be where, "The most renowned shops were to be found" (45); high-end retailers and craftsmen spanned across, from one end to the other, whilst lesser known shops littered around the river bank. The environment and atmosphere surrounding the Pont-au-Change is illustrated to be of great opulence and wealth – providing a stark contrast to the destitute neighborhoods us readers were accustomed to from the very beginning of the novel.

Further associating said postulations on society's ladder to the real-life context encompassing Süskind's work –which means going back to the first reading log where I had discussed the possible connections between Perfume and Nazi Germany–, it's fair to propose that the circumstances may be an elaboration on Adolf Hitler's own adverse youth. The whole notion of being outcasts, rejected by the those around them, and existing as undesired lowlifes – it's all there.

Moving on, to the second, most notable location: Grasse, a small town in Southern France. It's a rather well-known fact that Grasse holds a long history of perfumery; the town was once, and frankly, still is considered one of France's major centers of perfume trade. Once more, Süskind's choice of setting ties in nicely with the theme and context of Perfume – it is but to be expected that a narrative involving olfactory arts and is set in France of all places, should incorporate a French hub of fragrances, no? Either way, Grasse has, thus far, proven to be a convenient choice of setting for Grenouille and his, ah, aspirations, I suppose.

Reading Log #1 – Context

by: Anastasia Basuki (@bonananastasia) – March 11th, 2019

Born on the 26th of March, 1949, in the rural, German countryside, Münsing, Patrick Süskind has built himself a life of literary adventure. One of Süskind's most famed and recognized novels is titled Perfume: The Story of a Murderer – a fiction novel first published in 1985. Perfume's orginal publication was written in German, prior to the printing of English iterations.

Süskind's reserved disposition was very much a well-known fact, suggesting a man who preferred to observe society and human behaviour from afar, rather than intermingle within. As an author and screenwriter, Süskinds works often tackle the nature of psychology in his literary works. Perfume proved no exception – Süskind's conscious decision to narrate the tale through a third-person perspective, primarily revolving around the life of the murderer himself, was a fascinating take on the narrative. It gave readers a glimpse into the origins, emergence, and growth of a twisted mind, enabling the formation of an intimate and perceptive connections.

It can be presumed that Süskind wished to explore the manner in which the norms of society are able to shape one's persona and psyche, going back to the saying, "Evil is not born, but made."

In the case of Grenouille, our protagonist here, his upbringing was that of a somewhat unpleasant one – he was borne to a mother who had previously committed various acts of infanticide; was rejected by a number of wet nurses; deemed an unnatural, 'demonic' child, and was hated –even feared– by the other children, who later attempted to rid themselves of his seemingly 'otherworldly' existence through murder. Then there was Madame Gaillard, who was described as an indifferent woman, which can particularly be seen in the excerpt, "On the inside, she was long since dead." (19)

Indeed, this was sure to inhibit the amount of tender care her wards were to receive from her, and frankly, she was implied to be rather incapable of expressing such sympathetic emotions. It was perhaps this environment –deprived of devoted nurturing in all its nature– that further enabled Grenouille's sociopathic tendencies to grow, from what first seemed but a sad morsel of innocence, into something much more sinister.

Historically speaking, the one time Süskind directly referred to a real-life, historical event was when the French revolution was mentioned in an early chapter, during a recounting of Madame Gaillard’s life. Then again, I’m only fifteen chapters in, whereas the book itself consists of fifty.

I have a theory, however, on the novel’s backstory. It may sound insane, but what if Grenouille, as a character, was created as a reference to Adolf Hitler? An allegory, if you will. Süskind’s illustration of Grenouille’s woeful infancy and childhood is a seemingly snug fit with Hitler’s own abuse-ridden rearing. Both were raised within a dysfunctional ‘family’, and both were society’s outcasts – an aspect of their lives that, quite was likely to have led to their disturbing persona.

It is plausible that he had taken several components of the grim period of World War II and interwoven it throughout Perfume. After all, Süskind is of German nationality, and was undoubtedly exposed to his nation's grim history from a very young age; he was born in the wake of the Third Reich's fall – a monumental event that altered Germany's course entirely.

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