Point of View

The author's point of view is as an omniscient outside voice, observing the actions of all the characters and witnessing their inner thoughts. Using this point of view allows Süskind to quickly demonstrate the characters' motivations, and to describe events that are not directly witnessed by the main characters, such as the birth of Grenouille and the death of Grimal.

The novel is written from the point of view of a later period in time, suggesting that the events being described are perhaps better understood now than they were when they took place. The author occasionally moves forward in the story to events that take place after the end of the novel, such as the gradual death of Madame Gaillard and the mass denial of the murders by the people of Grasse many years after they took place.

At times, the narrative voice moves away...