Perfume and hate in the novel Perfume Everyone has characteristics that define or individualize them. Without these characteristics it becomes difficult to be considered unique. The novel Perfume, by Patrick Suskind, presents a character, Grenouille, who is distinctive, but in conflict with his individuality or identity. For Grenouille, life experiences are defined by what he observes through scent, and the actions he takes are based on the interpretation of scents. Given that scent acts like Grenouille's lens, just as we use vision to interpret our world, it follows that scent also represents an individual or identity. In essence, the function of perfume gave rise to the theme of identity in the novel, which in turn gave perfume a symbolic meaning. This interplay between theme and symbol not only advances the plot, but also illuminates Grenouille's understanding of his world. However, Grenouille's understanding of himself and the world at the end of the novel leads to his contempt for the human race and, ultimately, his suicide. Patrick Suskind incorporates the concept of perfume into Perfume not only as a means for Grenouille to interpret the world, but also as a symbol that intensifies Grenouille's hatred of humanity. Within the novel perfume symbolizes identity, and Grenouille's lack of perfume causes him to pursue creating perfumes that instill emotion. The idea of ​​perfume symbolizing identity is most significantly emphasized during Grenouille's retreat at Plomb du Canal. He awakens to the realization that he "who could smell other people from miles away, was not able to smell his own genitals even an inch away!". This alarms him and he begins to feel “the fear of not knowing much about himself”. For Grenouille, perfume is his vision and his passion, and for him to be completely devoid of any kind of perfume is equivalent to being dead. This existential crisis forces Grenouille to leave his retreat and seek some sort of confirmation of his existence. However, on a more symbolic level, Grenouille's search for validation represents what we as humans also seek in life. For Grenouille, being able to smell is his passion and makes him feel “blessedly wonderful” (Suskind 126). This more human characteristic of Grenouille validates Grenouille's quest to find his perfume. Grenouille's solution to his lack of scent is to soak himself in scents that are not his own to evoke strong emotional responses from those around him. Grenouille internally defines his identity by the amount of love or attention he receives: the more people recognize him, the stronger the foundation of his identity becomes. This idea manifests itself mainly during his stay in the company of the Marquis Taillade, the scientist, with whom Grenouille first begins to associate love and identity. After Grenouille invents a perfume composed of "cat poop, cheese, and vinegar" (158) he walks the streets of Montpellier to test the effects of his new smell. He finds that, instead of reacting in shock or oblivion to his presence (as they have done before), others react as anyone would to a normal human being, apologizing when they bump into each other and smiling politely . Grenouille then realizes that it doesn't matter who you are when you seek attention or love, because everything can be erased with an alteration of one's scent. Grenouille uses this epiphany to his advantage and sets out to create a perfume “so indescribably good and vital that anyone who smelled it would be enchanted by it and should love it with all their heart” (160). Apart from this declaration of conquest (of the hearthuman) that sets in motion Grenouille's series of murders, the desire to conquer the human heart is indicative of how Grenouille defines identity: to be loved and accepted. This definition comes from Grenouille's lack of affection while growing up. Since birth he has been constantly rejected or despised; starting from the attempted infanticide of his mother, which shows that he was neglected even from birth. Furthermore, Grenouille experienced years of abuse and neglect in the dehumanizing working conditions of Grimal the tanner. In the second half of the novel Grenouille falls into the hands of the Marquis Taillade de Epinade, who treats him well, although it is only because the Marquis sees Grenouille as a means to his scientific success, not as a real human being. Therefore, Grenouille has never experienced a form of true acceptance or love in his life, and for this reason, he associates the feeling of acceptance and recognition with legitimate identity. However, the fruits of Grenouille's labor (the final perfume) do not convey the feeling of acceptance and identity. Rather, the final scent highlights what Grenouille detests about humanity. Grenouille immerses himself in the development of a perfume that will make everyone love it, regardless of who wears it. However, in this immersion Grenouille loses sight of what was important to his being, namely his hatred for the human race. Thus, the “contempt for them” (the human race) (191) that Grenouille had at the beginning of the conquest turns into a genuine desire to be accepted through perfume. Grenouille leaves Montpellier and comes across a perfumer's laboratory. The laboratory is run by Madame Arnulfi, who hires Grenouille to work for them but for very low pay. However, from this experience, Grenouille learns to extract the purest scents from life and still life. Grenouille is “enchanted by their insignificant perfection” and gripped by “truly innocent happiness” (191). The only reason Grenouille creates what will ultimately be the final perfume is to satisfy his unwavering ambition and curiosity. However, in this ambitious quest, Grenouille fails to realize that he would actually prefer to live in solitude rather than surrounded by false affections. When Grenouille retreated to Plomb du Canal, the reason was to be “really completely alone” (125). Grenouille even “exploded into thunderous jubilation” (125) in his solitude. This truth becomes most evident at the culmination of his feat (the final scent) and observing its effects on those around him. As he is about to be executed for murder in front of a crowd of people, the perfume takes effect and he sees the adoration for him grow. However, “the more he hated them, the more they adored him,” because Grenouille realized that their reactions were not towards Grenouille but superficial. He still has no scent, and therefore no identity, yet he is still loved. The fact that perfume can so easily influence humanity's perception, driving those affected by it to madness, leaves Grenouille mutually disgusted with triumph. Because he is odorless, people will never “respond with an answer to his one true emotion, hate” (250). This leads to Grenouille's suicide at the Cimetiere des Innocents. Grenouille sacrifices his life after realizing that no one, not even the father of the girl killed by Grenouille, will ever truly hate him; and hatred is Grenouille's only emotional bond. Since no one will ever hate him, he feels rejected by the world. Through Grenouille's death, Suskind suggests that Grenouille is also very human. If everyone we met denied us who we were, how could we continue to live in the world? Grenouille's existential crisis, which is his inability to