Perfume - Grenouille Analysis

Meursault’s atypical view of the world is first seen when at his mother’s funeral when he does not cry, but rather, he worries more about the heat of the day than the burden of burying his mother. His absurd view of the world is also apparent when Marie asks Meursault to marry her. Meursault looks at marriage, a life changing decision, with indifference, which does not make Marie stop loving him, but she does not understand how the man she loves can be so emotionally detached from her. Marie’s character represents those who are ‘normal’ in society because she outwardly shows her love for Meursault, and looks towards the future. She, unlike Meursault, does not just live within the moment.

In the world we live in today, we have the richer of us, the needy, and many levels in between. But, during the French revolution, as expressed in Charles Dickens “A Tale of Two Cities”, the social classes of San Antoine were quite a bit more distinct than they are today. There were the oppressed and the opulent, the poor and the rich. Dickens shows the true contrasts between the societies in a short scene where Monseigneur is delivered his chocolate. This is an important, yet elaborate and necessity in his life. He relaxes in his luxurious suite, receives chocolate delivered by four men, and believes that he- along with the rest of the second estate- is superior to all others. This scene shows that violence breeds violence, maybe not physically, but the first class of France truly was oppressing the lower class, which caused them to bring more violence by revolting.

Laclos was a shorthand writer and a soldier. During the revolution, there were three estates, Laclos would be in the Third estate, probably, peasants. The second estate, the nobility, which his characters fell into. Our writer represents a class that he was not a part of but had grown familiar with. Like most of us, other cultures appeal to us, so we pay attention and find the answers to their world and how they live. Pierre, with his letters pulled us into the rich, and intimate world of French Libertine Culture. The setting, a time of Parisian aristocracy and war also led to a time of societal pressures.

Furthermore, the social class distinction between the Old Money and nouveau-riche social classes is exemplified in Daisy’s disapproval of Gatsby’s party. West Egg, the nouveau-riche, presents their wealth in what is considered undignified behavior by East Egg, the aristocracy. Their wealth was not inherited by past generations, therefore having no distinguishable family name and no experience in the highly stressed system of values of the aristocracy. The old rules and social conducts that Daisy has grown up with are rejected by West Egg through their disorderly and ostentatious displays of their newly developed wealth. Daisy represents the carelessness of the aristocracy and how “they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, … and let other people clean up the mess they had made” (179). A lack of ambition and the promise of financial wealth led to Daisy’s submission to the standards of the aristocracy, prompting selfish and irresponsible

Though, before, a man and his establishment was in danger because of a scandal, in this particular short story, Miss French symbolizes the wealthy class while Vole symbolizes the working class because he is working for Miss French and in need of money. In regards to the symbolism, we also must take into account to the ideal that the wealthy and working class do not overlap. In a way, this shows that one of the anxieties the society might have had at this time is the wealthy class, functioning as the private life, being destroyed by the working class, which is functioning as the public life. Furthermore, an example of this is seen when Mr. Mayherne says, “I am going to ask you a very serious question, and one of which it is vital I should have a truthful answer. You were in low water financially. You had the handling of an old lady’s affairs - an old lady whom according to her own statement, knew little or nothing of business. Did you at any time, or in any manner, convert to your own use the securities which you handled? Did you engage in any transaction for your own pecuniary advantage which will not bear the light of day” (Christie 1499). Considering this, challenged with the ideal of the working class being “bad”. Though Vole was indeed guilty, the underlying motif or idea, which is people who are in need or people who identify as poor are a threat to the rich and middle class. This happens predominately because the poor is, again, seen as a group of people are who

Monsieur Meursault is an emotionally detached, absurd, protagonist male character who exemplifies his own meaning of justice. Meursault demonstrates several emotionless, indifferent, nonchalant actions throughout this melancholic novel. He lives his life through his senses, rather than logical reasoning, which withdraws him from being apart of societal norms. The drinking and smoking at his mother's funeral, his response to the sun at the beach,

As the story continues, we begin see and smell the world through Grenouille and somewhat adapt to his unnatural personality. Whatever attachment the reader has with Grenouille at this point is suddenly crippled when he commits his first murder. Although a point of view is given through the victim’s senses as well as Grenouille’s, there is a sudden shock to the discovery his deadly intentions, which up until now no one, not even himself, thought he was capable of: “he did not look at her, did not see her delicate, freckled face, her red lips, her large sparkling green eyes, keeping his eyes closed tight as he strangled her, for he had only one concern—not to lose the least trace of her scent” (42, Ch. 8). By painting a vivid picture of a beautiful innocent girl that Grenouille could not see (as he was closing his eyes), the narrator leaves readers with only feelings of disgust towards Grenouille and his selfish, cold-blooded thirst for scent. This situation could only been sufficiently told through the narrative mode used, and now readers begin to lose all sympathy towards

In this case it was Madame Gaillard who had put Grenouille to hard work feeling no affection towards him. She became tired with him as he sucked the life out of her and gave him to Grimal, and eventually suffered from this choice. Madame Gaillard had gotten cancer that slowly killed her. This affected Grimal later when he sold Grenouille to another person. Grimal's life was taken the night Grenouille was sold. Grenouille is a monster in Perfume because of all the adolescent women he murdered, the death of his mother and for his caretakers dying after they left him.

The Characterisation of Grenouille throughout the novel highlights the cruelty of society, and it can be suggested again that it was in fact nurture rather than nature which caused him to spiral out of control. The title of the novel “the making of a murderer” is, in itself, interesting, as the characteristics of a murderer include “spending a lot of time alone and having few friends, and they often feel alienated from the rest of the world. They are depressed, angry and often feel humiliated” (unknown 2017). The main character has been subjected to rejection, abandonment and at just four years old the children in the orphanage tried to smother him in his sleep. Grenouille subjects himself to alienation from society after he has a complete mental breakdown after working as a perfume apprentice, and retreats up a mountain and lives in a cave for many years.

Initially, the reader meets Madame Renée Michel and Paloma Josse. Madame Michel is a concierge for a building in the Seventh Arrondissement of Paris in which Paloma, the daughter of a wealthy parliamentarian, lives. Through the everyday observations of Paloma’s and Renée’s lives, it is clear that they both possess an abundance of intelligence and wisdom, yet they do not share it with the world; rather, it is internalized while they both comment privately on the gilded attitudes of the French upper class. Madame Michel believes that her hidden life as an autodidact must stay that way for her to survive in her interactions with the wealthy. While reflecting on the fatal illness to which Pierre Arthens, a resident in the building, is actively succumbing to, Renée decides that “At times like this you desperately need Art.

He helps show audiences how divided and merciless French society was, was a vital character, and also shows how “little people” can do great things. Gavroche exposes the divided society during his life, and the merciless society by his death. Without Gavroche watching over the barricade and carrying the letter to Cosette’s house, the plot and ending of the story would have been much different than what we see in the book as well as the musical or movie today. Gavroche shows readers and viewers that young people can do great things, and pushes the rebels on to fight. After all, even though Gavroche’s life is cut short, he reminds us with his dying words that those little people usually grow up, and “you’d better run for cover when the pup grows up” (“Little

As a German writer, the reason for which Patrick Suskind wrote his critically-acclaimed novel, Perfume, in a French setting, about the French, is questionable. However, candidate answers lie in the setting of the novel itself. Mid-18th century France, which is adjacent to Suskind’s Germany, harboured not only a national, but global revolution of politics, economics, and social norms through the French reforms. This had plentiful influence on all aspects of Prussia since the late 17th century (when Germany was known as Prussia) to the present. This stepping stone to a change in practicality lied in the French Revolution and the change of identity that it instilled upon the populace. An exploration of Grenouille and perfume in Perfume reveals their symbolism of the critical transition from religious prominence, to humanistic considerations, to nihilistic extremes that ensued national and global chaos after the French Revolution to represents its influence on Germany and its constituent populace.

The short story“The Necklace” by Gui de Maupassant follows Madame Loisel and her husband who are living in the middle-class during the rise of the middle class in Paris, France.There are many different examples of irony throughout the short story, demonstrating Maupassant's talent at commenting on the society in which he was immersed in. The theme of “The Necklace” is revealed through the character Madame Loisel, irony, and symbolism.

Revenge can be analyzed, as it becomes the exhibited behavior of the Widow resulting from a number of causes. First cause is the harm done to her family; second cause is the Widow’s perception of violence during that time; and the third cause is her aggression toward the killer of her son. The first cause of her revenge is the most obvious reason why she avenged the death of her son, and this is because the killer caused pain to her family. Any mother would be committing the act especially that her son was the only company she has. The second cause pertains to the Widow’s perception of revenge during that time, and because at the time, wars and feuds were still evident in the French society, bloodshed for the Widow is not something to be scared of, given any means. This story was only successful in showing to its readers how the society thinks of death during those times, which can be achieved through any means, by which losing one’s life was not something to be thought of carefully. This just proves that during that time, morality was not given high regard as it is now. Death by any means can be accomplished by anybody, regardless of age, gender, and status in society. The third cause of the Widow’s behavior is her aggression toward the killer of her son, which was not literally shown or described in the story, but was evident based on

Was it his background or the society he lived in? He also did not have a social life, if someone saw him they would assume he was a social monster. Grenouille is a sociopath due to his isolation of the social world and the cruel crimes he committed. The reason he is considered a sociopath is because he did not have anyone to guide him, care for him or even love him. As Grenouille committed the dreadful crimes he did not show any emotion of remorse. What is so significant about this novel are the varying contrasts and symbolisms embedded on the story. It talks about divisions in society such as being gifted and being normal; of being accepted and being an outcast; of superficial things and authenticity; of passion and mediocrity; and of the conscious and subconscious. Grenouille’s culture has impacted his psyche in negative ways as well as positive