Ignorant The Characteristics of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille
Because of Grenouille’s peculiar ability, Madame Gaillard feels insecure.
Madame Gailla rd sees Grenouille’s ability is getting developed day by day.
Grenouille can find Madame Gaillard’s money which is kept in a hidden place in
the orphanage. Grenouille is also able to predict what will happen in the future. He can predict “a visitor who will stop by the orphanage long before the person
arrived or a thunderstorm when there was not the least cloud in the sky” Süskind, 2006: 27. Madame Gaillard thinks that Grenouille has second sight and considers
him as a feebleminded. Madame Gaillard believes that a person with second sight will only bring misfortune inside the house.
Not only describing a character’s quality through personal description, “the author can describe him through the eyes and opinions of another” Murphy,
1972: 162. By analyzin g Grenouille’s quality through Madame Gaillard’s
perspective, the writer sees Greno uille’s quality that is prodigious. Grenouille is
considered as a prodigy because he can learn everything in his life by himself without any guidance. Grenouille relies on his olfactory system to improve
knowledge about anything around him. Even Madame Gaillard considers him feebleminded.
In addition, Grenouille the prodigy arranges his murder scenario neatly. He plans to murder twenty five virgins in Grasse including a beautiful girl named
Laure Richis in order to create perfume that is made from the essence of the virgin’s body odor. He knows what he needs and he knows exactly what he has to
do to murder the virgins firmly. In order to travel to Grasse legally, Grenouille
nee ds journeyman’s papers and the knowledge in preserving odor in the best way:
maceration. Maceration is a method to preserve odor. He wants “those journeyman’s papers that would make it possible for him
to live an inconspicuous life, to travel und isturbed, and to find a job” Süskind,
2006: 107. So, he asked Baldini —Grenouille’s master after Grimal—to make
journeyman’s papers available for him. Then, Grenouille can travel securely and find the best way to preserve odor. Grenouille’s trip to find the best way to
preserve odor stops in a small perfumer’s workshop owned by Madame Arnulfi. In Madame Arnulfi’s workshop, Grenouille learns the finest method to preserve
odor which is called maceration. It is not difficult for Grenouille to learn the whole new method since he is prodigious, self and quick-learner. Again, he learns
those things by himself. Therefore, the writer concludes Grenouille as a prodigy character because of his peculiar ability and his being of self and quick learner.