The Perfumist of Paris

“Here I am, the only mother in the group, still at work, neglecting my daughters and my husband.”

These lines reveal the crux of Radha’s conflict, which is The Double Bind of Feminine Gender Identities. Radha is the only female lab assistant in a male-dominated industry, so she must work harder and longer than her male colleagues to prove she belongs. However, in doing so, she is forced to deprioritize her roles as wife and mother, which not only causes her tremendous guilt but also creates marital conflict. Any gains in her professional sphere are nullified by losses in her domestic and social spheres.

“Didn’t I also believe at one time that having children and taking care of them was all I needed in life? Then I met Jiji and understood what it was to create something larger than yourself.”

A major point of misunderstanding between Radha and her husband Pierre is Radha’s changing needs as she realizes that she is not fulfilled by playing the role of devoted wife and mother. Pierre wants to limit Radha to the domestic sphere while he enjoys unquestioned authority in his own domestic, social, and professional spheres. As a man, Pierre believes that his profession is an integral aspect of his identity yet expects Radha to remain satisfied with just the domestic sphere.

“What I’d picked up from Antoine, whose parents came from Morocco, is that much of the preference for scent was in the wearer’s heritage, as much a part of them as the color of their skin.”

Scent is not simply the focus of Radha’s career but an ongoing motif connecting Radha to her roots and oldest identity. Professional fulfillment is not the only reason Radha desires to become a master perfumist; scent represents a deep connection to India, her culture, and the memories that make her who she is.