The+Role+and+Presence+of+God

This novel is set in a time in the history of Europe where the complete trust and beleif in God and the clergy has started to ebb; where great innovations in existing sciences has started to turn the faith of the most powerful people in France from religion to science. Then Grenouille is born. Grenouille wields a talent, a gift that is almost supernatural. Right from the moment of his birth he is embowed with it, and with it comes a determination that would humble that of most other men, that would guide him through the darkest part of his life, that would help him survive and eventually fulfill his destiny. And all the while there is a secret hand following him, helping him as he goes along, but only acting in the most intangible, invisible ways so that Grenouille would be fooled into thinking it was he who was shaping his own destiny. This force, fate, God, whatever you might want to call it, shaped Grenouille's life from the very beginning, punishing those who had exploited him, yet showing some mercy at those that had helped him get closer to his ultimate destiny, sending sudden, terrifying dreams to Grenouille as a reminder that he has a purpose he needs to fulfill. I think that after Grenouille's purpose was fulfilled, whatever mysterious and lofty objective that was meant to be, he was foresaken by his unknowable protector; the pride and happiness he knew he was going to feel as thousands bowed at his feet was swiftly taken away from him, and he was left standing there, with nothing left in his heart but hatred. And so Grenouille went back to where he should've died a few decades ago, and suffered the most violent of deaths at his own will, no longer guided by the mysterious forces of God.

pt. 233 - "Shortly after three, Monsieur Papon and his henchmen appeared. The applause swept forward like thunder. They carried two wodden beams forming a St. Andrew's cross to the scaffold and set it at a good working height by propping it up on four carpenter's horses." - The fact that a St. Andrew's cross is present at the moment of Grenouille fulfilling hisdestiny shows that Grenouille is a Jesus-like figure, although because a St. Andrew's cross is shaped differently than the cross Jesus was crucified on (a St. Andrew's cross is shped like an X rather than a lower-case T) this shows that Grenouille is a different type of messiah, an unknowing one that does not know that it is being guided by God. p. 27 - "Madame Galliard, however, noticed that he hadcertain abilities and qualities that were highly unusual, if not supernatural" - The use of the word supernatural here implies that Grenouille's ability is not natural, that it is almost supernatural. Supernatural is a word to describe something outside of the natural world, something outisde of human science and understanding. This could be referring to God's role in Grenouille's "gift". p. 156 - "God stank,. God was a poor little stinker. He had been swindled, this God had, or was himself a swindler, no different from Grenouille-only a considerably worse one!" - Why would the author include these sentences, why mention God at all, why is Grenouille describing God as a swindler? While this passage may be here to show the extent of Grenouille's sense of superiority over every other being, even something so unknowable as God himself, I beleive that this passage is also a clue to God's role in Grneouille's life. Grenouille is completely oblivious to God's role in his life and describes Him as a stinker and a swindler. Grenouille could not be the only character not to be manipulated in the novel. Arguably "Perfume: The Story of a Murderer" is all about manipulation, and hence Grenouille must have been manipulated himself; and like Grimal and Baldini and Druot before him, people who manipulated, got manipulated themselves and ended up dying rather spontaneously Grenouille followed in their trails and ended up just like them, except Grenouille chose his death, something that the miracle-worker deserved, unlike others before him.