Question

Schmid argues that one of the ways we can stop audiences from identifying with serial killers is to use their abused or abnormal childhood to separate them from our own experiences. Relate the material in Schmid's chapter to the film/novel we viewed in this unit?

Answer 1

When it comes to the born killer, Schmid mentioned that to emphasize the abnormality of the seemingly normal serial killer, we have to focus on the different childhood situations. In the case of the Film and novel Perfume, it seems to be very true. The birth of Grenouille took place in a very dirty, smelly fish market of the 18^th century Paris. The film and novel depicted a number of incidences where the child had to face the awful situation during birth. As soon he was born, his mother was sentenced to death and this ended him to be in an orphanage and later a tanner bought him.

When he was living in an orphanage, other children almost killed him there. In fact, at the age of 5, he was not able to speak at all. Latter own he started to speak. While working at the tanner, he was forced to work like an animal in a very pathetic situation. No one loved him or appreciate him for the work he was doing. The entire above stated situation created a very miserable condition and childhood for Grenouill which can be characterized as abnormal, sad and abusive which a normal child commonly does not face.

In the opinion of Schmid, deviant childhood resulted in the abnormal personality of an individual. In my opinion, this is absolutely correct as it is quite evident in the book and film Perfume, that there are some problems in the background of the majority of serial killers. Once we analyze the background then we can understand the psychology of the killers and treat them as a disturbed person rather than a criminal.

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