internal+and+external+factors+as+ways+of+discovering+happiness

In the novels // Siddhartha // and // Perfume //, the protagonists Siddhartha and Grenouille experience temporary happiness in their lives by indulging in the gratification of their physical selves but eventually discovers a greater satisfaction in the form of inner mental contentment. In Siddhartha, the main character finds an ephemeral source of euphoria by reveling in the earthly materialistic pleasures of the world such as wealth, women, power, alcohol, and gambling. This occurs after he diverges from the teachings of Gotama and starts life anew in the village. The main character of Perfume also discovers transient ecstasy in the physical intake of the vast quantity of worldly odors and indulges himself for the majority of his early life. In time however, both protagonists learn to defy their physical desires and instead find fulfillment within themselves. Siddhartha eventually reaches enlightenment not through the teachings of others, but by meditating deep within his inner thoughts to achieve eternal peace, while Grenouille comes to terms with his own greatness, power, and lovability through his extensive internal search for his true identity and purpose. The impermanent exhilaration gained from objective desires compared to the deeper contentment with life realized internally suggests that true happiness is subjective and can only come from within. 