Upward Mobility and Social Movement Theme Analysis

Over the course of the novel, Grenouille moves steadily up the social ladder from the lowest depths of society to a journeyman and finally, in his eyes, a god. Everyone else with whom Grenouille comes in contact is similarly dreaming or actively working on achieving similar types of upward movement, making this type of movement a central concern to the novel. Grenouille realizes early on the importance of attaining some degree of social status, as he was born the lowest of the low. By virtue of his birth and the rules and regulations of the time, even reaching the success of becoming an apprentice after being born an orphan was a great achievement.

With the status afforded to Grenouille when he obtains his journeyman's papers, he's able to accomplish his goals without raising suspicion. However, it's important to note that Grenouille's appetite for advancement as made official by the government has a ceiling. Since his goals are purely personal, there's no need for him to climb the social ladder any higher, as his goals aren't monetary or fame-based. This ties into Grenouille's conception of himself as a god-like figure or a supreme ruler. Grenouille's state of being a god isn't achieved through titles or government but through scent, which transcends class and status.

Many of the individuals who play roles in Grenouille's life are “climbers” like he is, but they seek financial success or social recognition rather than the purely selfish pleasure that Grenouille gains from creating his ideal perfumes. Notably, a number of these individuals suffer some form of a miserable or untimely death after they're rid of Grenouille. Most of these deaths are caused by the very things that motivated the characters to climb in the first place, as when Baldini's death occurs when his shop, the fanciest address in town, falls into the river. Similarly, while Grenouille's death is a suicide rather than an accident, it's his goal of creating the perfect perfume that brings about the situation in which he can commit suicide in the way that he does.

Despite their different goals or motivations, almost all the characters see those around them as means to an end or means to advancement. In this way, the characters are reduced to mere tools rather than considered as full human beings. This becomes apparent when Grenouille is a child, as he survives by proving useful to Grimal and Baldini. Later, Grenouille uses this way of regarding people to work towards his own goals. He actively manipulates the marquis into allowing Grenouille to create his human perfume, and then goes on to use the girls of Grasse as tools and materials to create his final perfume.