In the assignment we come to know the method of psychobiography. First part consists of theories on psychobiography, its origins, evolution, how to write it and what not to do. Second part undertakes an in-depth review of Freud’s analysis of Leonardo da Vinci, commonly understood as one of the first modern and fundamental psychobiographies. Key critical points are Freuds identification with Leonardo, as well as historical inaccuracies and errors in translation. A conclusion can be made from this that Freud’s Leonardo is a different Leonardo than the real, historical one. Following is the main part, psychobiography of a literary character, a killer called Jean-Baptiste Grenouille from bestseller titled Perfume. This third part represents the practice of writing psychobiography of a person throughout his entire life. A literary theory stands as a support for this task. Fictional world of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille is understood as a cultural context. His ability to detect scent and the lack of his own scent are understood and accepted as true facts. This analysis also includes theories on artists and serial killers. In the last, fourth part we compare the two literary persons - Freud’s Leonardo and Grenouille. They are both called to experiment and construct something new, they are both artistically expressive, they both exhibit reduced or non-existent sexual activity, but only one is acknowledged as a serial killer.
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