Experiences+determining+behavior

Experiences determine behavior. THESIS: In Patrick Suskind’s __Perfume: The story of a murderer,__ the minor characters’ behaviors are mostly based on their past experiences: they doubt on things that are different from their expectations, and they tend to get away from such things. And so their experiences lead them to either isolate Grenouille or helps Grenouille realize his plans without noticing. Suskind uses this to show that Grenouille's deeds in the novel were influenced by the people surrounding him and were all meant to happen.

Explanation: It is often what we have experienced that led us, that determined our behaviors. Just like what everyone did in the book. And this is also one of the reasons that led Grenouille to make his way to becoming a murderer. >> Behavior: “I,    Jeanne Bussie, will not take that thing back! ”    The wet nurse based her conclusion on her experience she has smelt hundreds of babies, and believes to know by heart how babies smelt. As she had this belief in her mind, she expected to smell this from Grenouille as well. But when she couldn’t smell that smell from Grenouille, she decided that he’s different from others, possessed by the devil, and therefore was determined to send him away. For her this is very reasonable, as she, being human, cannot possibly not have feelings , and she couldn’t help wanting to get away from the baby. And so, her experience of smelling babies greatly determined her behavior of leaving while dealing with baby Grenouille. Almost the same thing happened with Madame Gaillard. As she was numb and couldn’t scent people’s scents, she didn’t really mind what kind of creature Grenouille really was. However, she heard that people with second sight bring misfortune and death, and so was frightened by the fact that Grenouille, the different child with special abilities, might bring her bad luck, may bring poverty and even death--- which she feared greatly and would do anything to get away from that. And so she planned to get rid of him. This again, shows that her behavior of getting rid of Grenouille is determined on her experience. Baldini has never felt too comfortable about Grenouille’s presence in his house around him, as he too, felt that Grenouille was different, however throughout the time he didn’t really show this feeling directly. But he did, avoided contact with him in many ways, especially by avoiding touching him –“He did not give him his hand- his sympathy did not reach quite that far.”). The one exceptional case only was when Grenouille got sick and Baldini was planning to build the big factory. He treated with great care, to great extensions. ---“he helped the patient up the narrow stairway with his own hands, despite his unutterable disgust at the pustules and festering boils.” And that contact was only for himself, not for any concern of Grenouille.      They did attempt to kill him, in many various harmful ways --- harmful enough to easily kill others that are normal. However Grenouille was no normal person and no normal deeds could destroy Grenouille. Therefore the boys gave up their attempts since they did not wish to use their own hands to touch him and strangle him, while strangling him was probably the most and only effective way to kill him. After that they left him alone. And so Grenouille got his peace from the boys and went on to live an un-destroyable life. The magistrates considered that the Greouille case closed, without even attempting to try again and catch him, for they knew that this was a case that cannot be solved. Thought they did not say this out loud, they did show that in their minds, attempts were in vain. At the same time they wanted to get over this, wishing to forget about the unreasonable chaos that has taken place on the execution day. This indirectly showed that Grenouille was not to be destroyed, for the court did as well dismiss him from his crime, and so did not destroy him. Baldini is sure enough aware that there’s something different about Grenouille. His supernatural talent of smelling, and his bold manner. But Baldini was never cautious of his ‘harmfulness’. Due to Grenouille’s great planning, Grenouille’s errors from time to time convinced Baldini to think that G’s behaviors were just normal. Then, i n B aldini’s perspective, since G renouille did the regulatory things for perfumery, he thought him as just a normal man who simply wasn’t that pleasant, and so went on teaching him and leading him to present perfumes and more perfumery skills. The lack of caution was influenced by his experience of knowing that perfume makers has to at least make some mistakes from time to time. People sometimes judged from looks and experience. As Richis, the richest guy in town, has probably seen tons of people before, he had this brief idea of how others should look like…..at least that’s what he thinks. As he sees Grenouille looking like nothing but a normal man, he was actually pretending to they’re a man what seemed harmless. And so while Grenouille was trying to pretend that he was harmless, Richis left him w/o doubt. People tend to blame those that have records. As nowadays people think that people who once did something bad have more possibility to do more bad things, the people in the novel thought so as well. Therefore they tried to blame the gypsies for the murders, then when that seemed impossible they tried to blame the Italian migrant workers, but even them and the wigmakers weren’t possibly the murderer. Therefore they found their experiences limited and are impossible to solve their problem, and so they became scared, for the fear of not knowing from where the danger comes is the greatest fear of all. It is people’s experience that Richis always had his way. He’s rich, he’s second consul, and he’s powerful! According to people’s experiences, his powers should be the last thing that can protect something precious, therefore they expected his daughter to be, at least, safe and unharmed --- however it turns out that even him, one of the most powerful men in their heart, cannot protect his daughter. And so, people felt un-easy and didn’t know what was best to do to protect their daughters from the devil-like murderer. Think about the word murderer. Just simply looking and thinking about this word or this certain character seems creepy enough. According to experiences and expectations, murderers should be at least bulky and fierce. They should have a nasty smell, a dirty, distorted face, and more over, the ability to cast a strong influence on the people around him. However Grenouille was nothing like that. People were shocked by his small build, his harmless and indifference look. People were surprised and could not help but let their jaws drop.
 * **  Experience led people to realize Grenouille's difference and send him away .  **
 * (12) “And that’s how little children have to smell—and no other way. And if they don’t smell like that, if they don’t have any smell at all up there, even less than cold air does, like that little bastard there, then….”
 * (28)“and since she knew that people with second sight bring misfortune and death with them, he made her increasingly nervous.” … “she set about getting rid of him. ”
 * (108) "he (Baldini) watched him go, and felt extraordinarily relieved.... He had never felt comfortable the whole time he had housed him under his roof and plundered him. "
 * **  People left him alone, after experience has shown that he was not destroyable, either consciously aware of the fact that he cannot be killed or not .   **
 * (22) “they tried a couple times more, but in vain.” …. “they gave up the attempted murders. They probably realized that he could not be destroyed. ”
 * (246-7) "The magistrates agreed without debate to regard the 'case of G' as settled, to close the files. "
 * **  People, mistaken by Grenouille's harmless look, were not at all aware of him, and so brought benefits to Grenouill e.  **
 * (92 -3 ) “from time to time, he would make mistakes that could not fail to capture Baldini’s notice….Thus he managed to lull Baldini into the illusion that this was all perfectly normal.” … ”..and the less his master feared and suspected him.”
 * (212) “He looked so totally insignificant that for a moment Richis had the impression that he was not even there. At any rate, Richis was immediately convinced that there was no danger whatever to fear from this almost touchingly harmless creature” –
 * **  When experiences don't seem to fit with what's happening, the people were left with confusion and fear.   **
 * (19 5    ) “Gypsies were capable of anything…known to stuff their pillows w/ human hair and to make dolls out of the skin and teeth of the hanged…..People suspected the gypsies… …For lack of gypsies, people decided to suspect the Italian migrant workers…..Finally the wigmakers came under suspicion….to no avail…..and now fear spread over the countryside.  ”
 * (222) People stayed in there houses at night, locked up their daughters…. If even the bishop’s anathema had proved useless! If even Antoine Richis, the great Richis m the richest man in town, the second consul, a powerful man who had every kind of assistance available, if even he could not protect his child!”
 * (227)” He simply did not look like a murderer.” … “the crowd was all eyes and one mouth agape, for minutes on end. ”

**PEOPLE TAKE ACTION BASED ON THEIR EXPERIENCES.: Conclusion: People took actions based on their experiences, and so they didn’t really have a choice on what they do and how they feel. They just feel that way, so from this perspective basically every feeling and every behavior in the novel makes sense. Everything is just natural. .