In Margaret Atwood's "The Blind Assassin" and in Patrick Suskind's "The Perfume", the main characters cease to agree with any of the above notions. It is in the psyche of one's mind to require some sort of motivation in order to progress
ISU Comparison Essay
“The Perfume” vs. “The Blind Assassin”
By Rimma Teper
What is the ultimate purpose of a human life? When such a controversial question is presented, tens upon hundreds of ideas and answers arise. One may argue a materialistic approach in which merely the acquisition of tangible possessions builds the foundations for a response to the given question. Another may insist that the answer is simply ‘for the continuation of humanity’. And finally, a commonly heard statement can serve as a reply; ‘to make a difference’. In Margaret Atwood’s “The Blind Assassin” and in Patrick Suskind’s “The Perfume”, the main characters cease to agree with any of the above notions. It is in the psyche of one’s mind to require some sort of motivation in order to progress and develop. Whether it be a loved one, a short or a long-term goal, the concept remains uniform. Both Laura Chase and Jean Baptiste Grenouille are driven by a single undying passion. For Laura, it is her first and only love, Alex Thomas. For Jean Baptiste Grenouille, it is his heightened sense, smell. Both Laura and Grenouille’s every action is somehow motivated by their passion, and this goes hand in hand with the fact that behind every goal, a passion lies. While Laura waits her whole life to be with Alex Thomas, Grenouille works his entire life to create the perfect perfume. Grenouille achieves his goals; Laura does not. Though both Jean Baptiste Grenouille and Laura Chase are passion drive individuals, their methods of achieving their goals differ to an extent that results in Grenouille’s personal fulfillment, and in Laura’s absolute downfall.
When viewed from a rudimentary perspective, Grenouille and Laura are alike in the sense that both characters allow their passion to consume them completely. Every bit of energy within their being is directed towards a single thought, a single obsession. It is Grenouille’s love for smell that is his drive behind everything he ever does throughout his lifetime. “Grenouille was out to find such odours still unknown to him; he hunted them down with the passion and patience of an angler and stored them up inside him.” [Suskind 34]. His obsession slowly mushrooms into a madness that sends him off on a killing rampage for 25 virgins in order to create the perfect perfume. This project becomes his lifelong devotion. Laura’s love for Alex Thomas follows her throughout the duration of her life. Though little insight is given into the inner thoughts of Laura’s mind, the truth becomes apparent as Atwood’s novel reaches its climax. “I had to take the pain and suffering onto myself. That’s what I promised God. I knew if I did that, it would save Alex.” [Atwood 487]. Her every emotion and thought is linked to him in one way or another. Besides for an obsession-based, single track mind, Laura and Grenouille share another common trait, dreaminess. Though Laura’s dreamy nature is parallel to her innocence and naivety unlike with Grenouille, this feature still manages to link the two characters together. Though Alex and Laura’s sister, Iris were lovers for quite a while, Laura is totally unaware, and in her mind, believes that Alex loves her. “Alex will be back soon. If I wasn’t here, he wouldn’t know where to find me.” …“I wanted to shake her.” [Atwood 487]. Grenouille’s state of fantasy is slightly different. It fuels his actions and eventually helps him achieve his ultimate goal. “The castles’ private rooms, however, were shelved from floor to ceiling, and on those shelves were all the odours that Grenouille had collected in the course of his life, several million of them.” [pg. 128]. He fantasizes of a castle with millions of smells during his isolated years on the mountain. The few similarities of Grenouille and Laura’s characters are noteworthy, but it is only on the surface that these two individuals appear alike.