Anisha Riggs
In the novel *Perfume: The Story of a Murderer* by Patrick Süskind, Monsieur Grimal is a tanner who lives near the Seine river in the rue de la Mortellerie. Grimal purchases Grenouille as cheap labour from Madame Gaillard, who runs a house for unwanted children. Grimal treats Grenouille as little better than a work animal, valuing him only for his productivity. After Grenouille is released from Grimal's service, Grimal goes on an alcoholic binge, getting so drunk that he falls into the Seine and drowns.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Cause of Death | Drowning |
| Circumstances | Fell into the Seine river due to drunkenness |
| Location | Pont-au-Change |
| Responsible Party | Jean-Baptiste Grenouille |
| Relationship to Grenouille | Former master; sold apprenticeship to Baldini |
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What You'll Learn
Grimal drowns in the Seine
Grimal, a tanner who lives near the river in the rue de la Mortellerie, takes on Grenouille as an apprentice when Madame Gaillard no longer receives money to care for him. Grimal treats Grenouille little better than a domestic animal, valuing him only for his labour. Grimal locks Grenouille in a closet and only treats him slightly better once he becomes a better worker.
When Baldini, a master perfumer, recognises Grenouille's genius, he buys him from Grimal as his apprentice. Grimal takes the immense sum of money he receives from Baldini and goes on an alcoholic binge. His drunkenness causes him to mistake his route and fall into the Seine, where he drowns. Poignantly, Grimal's body flows under the Pont-au-Change just as Grenouille is settling into his new position as Baldini's apprentice.
In this way, Grimal meets his end soon after selling the rights to Grenouille's apprenticeship. This continues the pattern in the novel that, while Grenouille seems at first to bring good fortune, in the end, the person who knows him comes to a bad end.
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He wastes his money on alcohol
In the novel Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, Monsieur Grimal is a tanner who lives near the river in the rue de la Mortellerie. Grimal purchases Grenouille as cheap labour from Madame Gaillard, who runs a boarding house for unwanted children. Grimal treats Grenouille as little better than a domestic animal, valuing him only for his labour.
After years of working for Grimal, Grenouille is purchased by Baldini, a master perfumer, as his apprentice. Grimal is paid a large sum of money for the apprenticeship of Grenouille and believes he has made a great deal. Grimal then takes his newfound wealth to the taverns and goes on an alcoholic binge.
Grimal's drunkenness causes him to mistake his route and fall into the Seine river, where he drowns. His body flows under the Pont-au-Change, which is also where Baldini's shop is located. This is poetically juxtaposed with Grenouille settling into his new position as Baldini's apprentice.
The novel establishes a pattern where Grenouille brings good fortune to those he encounters, but their association with him ultimately leads to their downfall. Grimal's death by drowning in the river is a direct result of his wasteful spending on alcohol and subsequent drunkenness, which causes him to lose his way and fall into the water.
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He falls into the river due to drunkenness
In the novel *Perfume: The Story of a Murderer*, Monsieur Grimal is a tanner who lives near the Seine river in the rue de la Mortellerie. Grimal purchases Grenouille as cheap labour from Madame Gaillard, who no longer receives money to take care of him. Grimal treats Grenouille little better than a domestic animal, valuing him only for his labour.
After years of working for Grimal, Grenouille is purchased by Baldini, a master perfumer, who recognises Grenouille's genius and buys him as his apprentice. Grimal is "convinced that he had just made the best deal of his life" with the large sum of money he receives from Baldini.
However, Grimal's fate takes a tragic turn as he squanders his newfound wealth on an alcoholic binge. In his drunken state, he mistakenly wanders off course and falls into the Seine river, ultimately drowning. As his body flows under the Pont-au-Change, Grenouille settles into his new position as Baldini's apprentice, marking a poetic juxtaposition between their two fates.
The demise of Grimal follows a pattern in the novel where individuals associated with Grenouille meet unfortunate ends. While Grenouille initially appears to bring good fortune to those around him, their encounters ultimately lead to their downfall. Grimal's death by drowning in the river serves as a cautionary tale and underscores the darkly humorous tone of the narrative.
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He sells Grenouille's apprenticeship to Baldini
In the novel *Perfume: The Story of a Murderer* by Patrick Süskind, Grimal is a tanner who lives near the Seine River in the rue de la Mortellerie. He purchases eight-year-old Grenouille from Madame Gaillard, who runs a boarding house for unwanted children. Madame Gaillard, who lacks a sense of smell due to a head injury, believes that Grenouille is psychic and, fearing bad luck, sells him to Grimal as cheap labour.
For seven years, Grimal treats Grenouille as little better than a work animal, locking him in a closet and valuing him only for his ability to complete dangerous tasks. When Grenouille falls ill, Grimal comes to appreciate him more, as he is a good tanner's assistant. However, Grimal is never kind to Grenouille.
When Grenouille turns fifteen, Giuseppe Baldini, an aging and once-great master perfumer, visits Grimal and pays him twenty livres for Grenouille's apprenticeship. Baldini, whose business is dwindling, recognises Grenouille's genius for creating new scents and plans to use his skills to rebuild his reputation. Grimal happily sells Grenouille's apprenticeship to Baldini, believing that he has made an excellent deal.
With his newfound wealth, Grimal goes on an alcoholic binge, getting so drunk that he falls into the Seine River and drowns. Meanwhile, Grenouille begins his apprenticeship with Baldini, who teaches him the art of creating tinctures, extracts, and essences from plants. Baldini records Grenouille's creations, building a library of new scents. Eventually, Grenouille is forced to work within the traditional methods of perfumery, writing out formulas before mixing new creations.
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Grimal is a tanner
As a tanner, Grimal's work involves treating the skins of animals to prepare them for use as leather. This process typically involves soaking, liming, fleshing, and tanning the hides. It is likely that Grimal specialised in goat leather, as Baldini is said to have purchased this from him. The tanning process can be dangerous and labour-intensive, which is reflected in the treatment of Grenouille during his time as Grimal's apprentice.
Grimal's workshop is located near the Seine river, which plays a significant role in his death. After selling the rights to Grenouille's apprenticeship to Baldini, Grimal receives a large sum of money. Instead of using this money wisely, Grimal goes on an alcoholic binge, getting himself exceedingly drunk. In his drunken state, he mistakenly wanders near the river and falls into the Seine, ultimately drowning.
The death of Grimal serves as a poetic moment in the novel, as his body flows under the Pont-au-Change just as Grenouille is settling into his new position as Baldini's apprentice. This moment highlights the pattern that emerges in the novel, where Grenouille seems to bring good fortune to those he encounters at first, but ultimately, those who know him come to a tragic end.
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Frequently asked questions
Grimal died by drowning in a river.
Grimal drowned in the Seine.
After selling Grenouille's apprenticeship to Baldini, Grimal went on an alcoholic binge and, due to his drunkenness, fell into the river.
Grimal was a tanner.
Grimal's apprentice was Grenouille, who worked for him from the age of eight until his early youth.
