Perfume: The Story of a Murderer

As the title of the work suggests, perfume is central to the plot, so much so that one could even call it the second principal character after the protagonist Jean-Baptiste Grenouille. In most modern languages, the word for perfume is derived from the Latin couplet per fumus, which means “through smoke,” referring to the manner in which perfume adorns the body in a mist. The origins of perfume date back at least to the 2nd millennium BCE in ancient Mesopotamia. While human delight in fragrant scents likely originated before that as a naturally desirable aspect of reality, perfume as a crafted and artificial product is an invention that likely began in Babylon and was further refined in various times and cultures.

Biblical records mention perfume and scented oils in passing, assuming general knowledge in the reader, and there is even evidence that the island of Cyprus may have contained a working factory for perfume on a much larger scale. Arab and Persian technicians perfected the process of scent distillation in the early medieval period—very similar to the process learned by Grenouille in Baldini’s workshop—using raw materials like spices, herbs, and aromatic woods to produce distilled essential oils that could then be used for various purposes, including the creation of perfumes and scented oils used for sacred as well as secular purposes.

Western production of modern perfume began in the late 14th century at the request and impetus of Queen Elizabeth of Hungary and became widespread in countries like Italy during the Renaissance period. Eventually, France would become the world leader in the production of perfume, surpassing all known technicians and products up to that point. Southern France in particular was a prime location for the flower industry, which directly served the perfume industry. The town of Grasse—featured in the novel—was considered the perfume capital.

In the classical tradition, the ability to smell was considered a base sense, along with the perceptions of touch and taste. The senses of sight and hearing were believed to be higher senses, as they allow people to appreciate and engage in activities that are considered “civilized,” such as art and music, and are connected to the faculty of the mind. On the other hand, smell was considered more animalistic and primal in nature. Smells arise from the physical condition of things, and in the 18th-century cities of Europe, a lack of personal hygiene, poor sewage systems, and overcrowding often led to a permanent stench. Perfume became a way to cover up bad odors. Suskind gives the disguise of foul smells with artificial scents an extreme extension through Grenouille’s use of his final perfume, made from the essence of the dead girls. This perfume evokes the adoration of a crowd that had initially gathered to watch his execution and causes people to temporarily forget his heinous crime.