How Does Grenouille develop physically/mentally in these chapters?
Animalistic Imagery – His increasing view of his body’s basic needs as menial tasks and ability to survive off of barely anything tells us that Grenouille now only views his body as a vessel for his grand olfactory ambitions that he must annoyingly keep alive. It is almost like the animalism of his body and his ascended mind are two separate entities, one living parasitically off of the other, tying into his nature as a tick.
The Multiple Faces of Grenouille – Jean-Baptiste/Grenouille/Grenouille the Great. Who is the true Grenouille? He experiences a crisis of the self, forcing himself to explore and therefore develop his character mentally.
Exploration of his Soul – ‘The next performance in the theatre of Grenouille’s soul was beginning.’ Is this newfound heart and soul that we see Grenouille exploring in Chapter 27 just that, a ‘performance’? Under his cold-blooded exterior, is there a good man lurking, or is this notion of emotion just another one of Grenouille’s self-indulgences? There has been no reference to it up until now, either it has been unlocked by the highs of the olfactory experiences he is experiencing, or he has become so frivolous he has allowed himself to believe that he possesses these things.
Consider Grenouille’s attitude towards the outside world?
Biblical References – When experiencing his visions of grandeur, Grenouille describes himself as wielding ‘a flaming sword’, a weapon biblically used by the angels to defend the Garden of Eden, which could represent how his realm of scent is his personal paradise, but within it lays sin itself, for Adam and Eve, the apple, for Grenouille, the murder of the red-haired girl, through which he gained her scent. This would mean that, by contrast, Grenouille no longer cares at all for the outside world.
However, the book is originally German, and the Germanic mythological connection to a flaming sword comes through Surtur, the fire giant, who is destined to destroy the world, which could also mirror Grenouille and his murderous intent.
The other biblical references, such as ‘And Grenouille the Great saw that it was good’, could imply that Grenouille now views himself as above the outside world; he has transcended it.
What precipitates Grenouille’s departure from the cave and how is it described?
Description of Exit – ‘Vomiting him back out into the world’ suggests something vile and unpleasant is being unleashed upon the world in an explosive manner, which is accurate to Grenouille’s departure from the cave.
Existential Crisis into Journey of Self-Discovery – Ties into the concept of a Bildungsroman. ‘What he felt now was the fear of not knowing much of anything about himself.’ Grenouille is finally confronted by his lack of smell, and therefore, in the eyes of the novel, character. He goes to great lengths to search for his scent, initially plagued by denial, even mirroring Baldini’s method of extracting scent, one he knows is far below his natural abilities. However, when he allows himself to examine his scent, or lack thereof, objectively, he comes to a conclusion and sets out on his journey. Grenouille’s unique relationship with scent, his natural olfactory genius, is what he defines himself by. So, when he can no longer rely on this ability, he is nothing, or at least is not what he thought he was previously.
