Zorba the Greek, by Nikos Kazantzakis, is a novel about being content. Zorba attempts to teach the narrator about his perceptions of joy; the narrator discovers a man who experiences life to the fullest and who seeks the joy in everything. Where happiness actually comes from has been a topic of debate for ages, and Kazantzakis speculates on that in this novel. Confucius also made a theory on the origins of true happiness in the following quote (an excerpt from a letter from the narrator's friend to the narrator):.
Confucius says: "Many seek happiness higher than man; others beneath him. But happiness is the same height as man." -p. 91 .
If Zorba were a symbol of a truly happy man, which seems to be at times, then this statement is clearly false in the context of this novel. This quote means that happiness cannot be found simply by searching for a higher power; religion does not directly bring happiness. It also means that contentment is not found in the material world, either. Rather, one attains elation from other people. When people form relationships and friendships with others, it is only then that people will know true happiness. In Zorba the Greek, however, Zorba is always the most joyful man in any scene, constantly dancing and smiling. And he apparently gains his livelihood mainly from materialistic experiences, such as drinking wine, making love to women, and eating lavish meals. And, in Zorba's mind, the people whom he encounters in his journeys are there for the sole purpose of enhancing and/or varying his life's experiences. The following quote displays this quality of Zorba well:.
We stayed silent by the brazier until far into the night. I felt once more how simple and frugal a thing is happiness: a glass of wine, a roast chestnut, a wretched little brazier, the sound of the sea. Nothing else. And all that is required to feel that here and now is happiness is a simple, frugal heart.