The communicative function of olfactory images in the novels of P. Suskind Perfume and T. Salih The Season of Migration to the North

The article deals with the comparison of olfactory images in Patrick Suskind’s novel Perfume and Tayeb Salih’s The Season of Migration to the North in the communication context of Arab and European cultures. The initial theoretical point, based on the existing developments in the field of literary studies and cultural studies, is the idea of olfactory images as an essential component of the poetics of a work of art. The role played by olfactory images in revealing the characters of the two heroes Jean-Baptiste Grenouille and Mustafa Said is considered. Both heroes share similarities: on the one hand, they have a gift, and on the other, they are alienated from society: they feel lonely, their position in the world is that of an outcast. However, for Grenouille, this alienation is due to his personal features, while Mustafa Said’s psychological problems are connected with the colonial past of his homeland, Sudan. With the help of fragrances, both heroes are trying to restore the destroyed communication links – to evoke love to themselves and assert themselves. The article examines the relationship between olfactory images and the image of the homeland of both heroes. In the novel Perfume, the olfactory image of Paris is represented exclusively in a repulsive way. In the novel The Season of migration to the North, smells, by contrast, return the hero to his childhood, help him achieve harmony with himself and with nature. Olfactory images play an important role in revealing the problem of the protagonist’s communication with women. Grenouille artificially creates a fragrance that causes erotic temptation in the people around him. Salih’s novel also shows the connection between olfactory images and the motives of seduction, however, Mustafa Said does not create artificial smells, but uses natural smells to arouse the interest of his potential victims. The article concludes that the communicative functions of olfactory images in both novels are similar, but their differences are determined by the specific features of Arab and European culture.  

Suskind, Salih, olfactory images, communication, culture, hero, exile, colonialism