氣味的強度和氣味所引起的情緒變化，往往伴隨著某些個人經驗而產生，其中的回憶、故事、和特定事物所成就的空間經驗就是嗅覺空間的角色所在。一直以來，嗅覺都具有相當的爭議性，嗅覺與人類文明的關係也往往受到質疑。本論文的出發點，是要從香水這本小說中，探討嗅覺的內在力量，融合了想像力、強大的動物力、和細微的穿透力，從中觀察跨越界線、反抗、和開放空間的可能性。
本論文將從嗅覺的獨特性出發，探討嗅覺與空間的關係，嗅覺空間的意義和形成，以及嗅覺在社會性和主體性的象徵意義。從葛努乙建構的嗅覺空間中，我們會發現反叛和重建的力量，這份內在的力量與當時十八世紀法國的革命力量相互呼應，同樣暗示著反抗空間與開放空間的可能性。嗅覺於此已不只是野蠻的、低等的感官，而是被賦予著精神和文化意義，與人類文明一同進程。
首先，在序論裡，除了將呈現香水這本小說的批評背景以外，將說明討論嗅覺空間的動機，以及作者文字敘述中的空間性。第一章將從社會背景和嗅覺背景探討十八世紀的法國。歷史和社會的描述提供本論文的論述必要的背景，因為感官空間的探討必須納入人與環境關係的思考，以及特定時空背景的關係。
本論文第二章將從感官和感官空間出發，進一步談論到嗅覺和嗅覺空間，由此思考小說香水如何用嗅覺來呈現故事和描繪角色。接著我將提出 “嗅覺地景”的概念，探討特定時空關係下，嗅覺的強度和持續度所產生的嗅覺空間性，並以此檢視葛努乙的嗅覺空間，如何對抗或遵從一般的嗅覺模式。在此我也會統整文明史上對嗅覺的正反面討論，並統合其中的建構或衝突。
本論文第三章根據第二章的理論探討，從小說文本中分析嗅覺的處理方式，葛努乙依著嗅覺的成長經驗，和其所建構的嗅覺空間所帶來的反抗性、知識性、重建和革命的可能。最後一章我將結合索雅對第三空間的討論，分析葛努乙作為一個社會他者的角色，如何開創革命性的開放空間。

The role of smell in spatial experience suggests that varying intensities of scents and smell perceptions undulate with one’s emotions stimulated by the nose and are associated with particular things, stories, and situations that all comprise of a sense of space and the character of places. However, the sense of smell for a long time had experienced a rather controversial debate over its importance and its relationship with civilization. In Patrick Suskind’s novel Perfume, I intend to find from the smell perceptions an intrinsic power which, mixed with imagination, animal strength, and insightful delicacy, allows the possibilities of transgression, resistance and infinite openness.
My thesis is based on the exclusiveness of smell and its imaginative and revolutionary power to explore the olfactory space/spatiality and its symbolic interrelationship with sociality and the formation of subjectivity in Patrick Suskind’s novel Perfume. I intend to find the power of resistance and reconstruction in Grenouille’s olfactory space/spatiality, and will compare eighteenth century French Revolution to the “smell revolution” as implied in the novel. Smell here is not merely a savaged, inferior sense, but rather an elevated sense which produces revolutionized space, and symbolizes spiritual and cultural breakthrough in the development of human civilization.
In the Introduction, literature review will be presented. Not only the spatiality of smell will be mentioned but also the sense of spatiality in the novel’s descreiption itself will be observed. In the first chapter I will examine the development of eighteenth century France both olfactorily and socially. Odours in 18th century France had been entangled with medicine and public sanitation. The historical and social survey provides the thesis with a necessary background information since the study of sensual spaces has to take into account person-environment relationships and the constituents in a given society/culture at a given time.
Second, I will provide an overview of all the senses and the sensual spaces, and then relate specifically to its association with the sense of smell and the concept of olfactory space. The properties of the sense of smell and its relationship with space/place are discussed to think about why Patrick Suskind uses the sense of smell, instead of with the sense of sight as we usually do, to describe his story and portray his characters. Here I will draw on the concept of “smellscape” to discuss the durations and intensities of odours in the specific time-space relationship, and to further analyze how Grenouill conforms to or/and revolts against these general olfactory norms. I will trace the philosophical discussions on the sense of smell from both positive and negative perspectives to compare and integrate the constructions and conflicts between different treatments of olfaction and other senses.
To explore into the interrelation between Grenouille, smell, and the olfactory space/spatiality, I will relate Grenouille’s olfactory experience to Edward Soja’s idea of “Thirdspace”. Combining with my prior surveys of smellscape and the eighteenth century social setting, I will analyze the novel’s representations of space and spatiality, and read Grenouille as an social “other” who struggles in the norms and opens up the space of openness.

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