1. Santiago becomes a shepherd, rather than a priest as his parents desired. Why is this choice significant to the novel?
Without the decision of Santiago pursuing his dream of traveling and later becoming a peasant, he would have never achieved his “personal legend.” Through his “personal legend” of finding his destiny, Santiago encounters many situations where his occupation as a shepherd benefits him. For example, when Santiago met the King of Salem, Melchizedek, he trade him six of his sheep in return for knowledge that helped him throughout his whole entire journey to the Pyramids. If Santiago followed his parents desires and became a priest, this whole journey of finding his destiny would have never taken place because it started
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Two main payments are his sheep and money. Melchizedek, the King of Salem, tells about omens, and gives him Urim and Thummin (black and white stones). In exchange, Santiago provided Melchizedek with 1/10 of his cattle, amounting to six dearest sheep that he sacrificed in order to reach his dream. Another payment is the money he paid when caught by other tribes in the desert. For example, he gave up his gold coins in order to receive three days of preparation and the option to stay alive after running into some enemies. When Santiago was about to give up the things he cherished, it was important for him to sit and take time to think about his decision before doing something he would regret later …show more content…
The novel relates to this phrase because it tells the story of a boy who works toward his goals and achieves them, but when he takes a break or gives up and depends on his fate he does not get any further. Just like in daily life, we wouldn’t get anywhere by solely depending on our destiny without taking any action toward it, and this novel exemplifies this “greatest lie” by incorporating it in someone else’s daily
Suffering and sacrifice is never easy, but it is necessary for Santiago go through both in order to make his dreams come true. In The Alchemist, Santiago has to sacrifice his sheep so he can travel in search of the Pyramids. Santiago is hesitant to give up his sheep because he is afraid of leaving behind something he knows so well. “He had to choose between something he had become accustomed to and something he wanted to have” (Coelho 30). He is
Armed with a proper understanding of omens and their interpretations, one can be very successful. Santiago arrives in Tangier only to be robbed of all his money. He calls upon stones Urim and Thummim, that he received from Melchizedek, these stones are to guide him reading the omens. He asks them, “Am I going to find my treasure?” As he reached in to find one of the stones, they both fell to the ground, he saw this as his omen (Coelho 44). In this case, Santiago was at a crossroads, having just lost everything he had, he could have easily abandoned his search for his “Personal Legend” (26). When Santiago had been working with the crystal merchant he had become “accustomed to recognizing the omens” (58). He had begun to train himself to look out for signs that would guide him along his journey toward his “Personal Legend” (26) and the more he did so, the results were fruitful. When Santiago travels to the oasis, he is able to discern the meaning of the flight of hawks into a vision warning of an attack on the oasis itself. At first, Santiago is hesitant to share his vision with anyone but then he remembers what the old king told him, “Always heed the omens” (102-116). Santiago is learning not only to place more faith in the omens, he is beginning to see himself as person of strength and with the qualities of a leader. His character is developing more as he becomes more confident
Santiago begins working for the crystal merchant and receives a good commission for selling each piece. He wants to make more money in order to buy some sheep and realizes that it will take him a year at the rate he is going. He offers to build a display case to place outside and attract more customers. The crystal merchant does not like things to change, and he resists Santiago's attempt to change things. After some reflection and discussion, he gives Santiago his approval to build the display case.
In the novel The Alchemist it tells a story of a boy who is in search of his Personal Legend. A Personal Legend is the means in which a person can live a satisfying life, in other words ones destiny in life. As the novel states the only way to achieve perfection is if all natural things continuously undergo a cycle of achieving their Personal Legend, evolving into a higher being with a new Personal Legend, and then pursuing that new goal. This concept, that the individualistic pursuit of a Personal Legend exists as life’s dominant—perhaps only—spiritual demand, lies at the center of the unique theology of The Alchemist. As we see when Santiago must give up his flock, material success and even love pose obstacles to Santiago achieving his Personal
The Final Exam Review The Crucible: Act I 1. The irony in that sentence would have to be the fact that 100% back in those days they believed that anything fun was consider a witch trait and they had to be killed. They denied the pleasure of dancing and if you happened to be a women/female and someone blamed you for witchcraft, there is no proof to help you. 2.
The first two obstacles that Santiago faces are that his father tells him he can not do something that he wants to do and that he wants to pursue his personal legend, but he does not want to hurt those that he loves. For example, Santiago’s father said, “The people who come here have a lot of money to spend, so they can afford to travel. Amongst us the only ones who can travel are shepherds.” Everyone is told by their parents and friends that everything we want to do is impossible. Since Santiago did not have money to spend to travel his only choice was then to become a shepherd to fulfill his desire. T...
And I’m going to hold on to what little I have, because I’m too insignificant to conquer the world.” Santiago thought that he needed treasure or wealth to be considered significant or happy with his life. Santiago’s want for treasure affected his journey immensely. Without his desire, he would’ve never gone through his journey. Santiago's journey was key for his growth. Without it, he would’ve never been content with his life because he would constantly think about the wealth he missed out on and never realize that the journey was the part he actually missed out on. Luckily, he did go on his journey. And towards the end of it, he realized he didn’t need the treasure to be happy in his life. He shows this after he meets Fatima,“I’ve found Fatima, and, as far as I’m concerned, she’s worth more than treasure.” This is the first point in the book in which Santiago is willing to give up the treasure because he found someone in life that makes him happy and content. Compared to Odysseus and Edmond,
As Santiago continues his journey, he begins to have more things to lose, such as the love of his life or the fortune he gains. So naturally, he finds it hard to continue because he fears that he could potentially lose it all. The man helping him finish his journey, the Alchemist, gives him this piece of advice:
Will Santiago go after his dream? In The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, Santiago has had the same dream twice. He takes it upon himself to discover what this dream means and where the treasure in the dream is located. The people and challenges he faces along the way all present him with a sacrifice. When trying to achieve his goal, Santiago sacrifices his sheep, Fatima temporarily, gold, and time.
After Santiago has had his dream interpreted, he sets out on a journey with the guidance of many people such as a king and a new friend. Firstly, Santiago meets a king who tells him that he can help him find his treasure if he gives him a tenth of his sheep. Santiago then sold all but one tenth of his sheep, which left him with a lot of money and a treasure he sought (Coelho 31). Now that he has no sheep left, he has nothing left to go back to, and has to start his journey. During the crossing of the first threshold stage, Santiago has to decide to take a step in which he gives everything up to pursue his personal legend. Now that Santiago has a lot of money, he is able to make the voyage to his treasure, but first he must get guidance. A boy he meets in a bar serves as a guide who holds his money for him, until when Santiago is not looking, the boy runs off with all of his money (Coelho 41). Santiago now has no money left and no sheep left. During the belly of the whale stage, Santiago faces a very impactful hindrance in which he is left with nothing but hope for finding. Lastly, Santiago faces many external struggles while on his journey across the desert towards the treasure in his dream. After traveling with a caravan during the hot days and very cold nights, Santiago learns that it is unsafe because there are tribal wars
“Even if he never got to the Pyramids, he had already traveled farther than any shepherd he knew. Oh, if they only knew how different things are just two hours by ship from where they are, he thought. Although his new world at the moment was just an empty marketplace, he had already seen it when it was teeming with life, and he would never forget it. He remembered the sword. It hurt him a bit to think about it, but he had never seen one like it before. As he mused about these things, he realized that he had to choose between thinking of himself as the poor victim of a thief and as an adventurer in quest of his treasure. "I'm an adventurer, looking for treasure," he said to himself.” Santiago believes that he is an adventurer, looking for treasure, but he may not believe in himself still. Santiago is stuck between looking for the treasure or staying home thinking of himself as the poor victim of a thief. It does not matter how many people believe in him if Santiago does not believe in
On his journey to learn more about the soul of the world, Santiago met the old King of Salem, Melchizedek. He introduces several of the key concepts that we see repeated throughout the novel, The Alchemist. For example, he tells Santiago about Personal Legends, the Soul of the World, and Beginner’s Luck. The King also gives him Urim and Thummin, which represent “yes” and “no” to help guide him on his journey. Melchizedek is the first character to display magical powers that convince Santiago to pursue his dream of finding a treasure. The King once said, “Never stop dreaming, and follow the omens,” (Coelho 64). Two years later, these words helped him continue on his journey to fulfilling his destiny.
Santiago had it hard while he was growing up, his parents wanted him to be a preacher but he knew he was destined to be more as he could not implement his lively and traveling nature in a sacristy of a church. His way to the treasure which was bound to be his happy ever after was harder to get to as he had to give up many things. He had to promise The Gypsy Woman a tenth of his treasure he did not even have yet, give up a tenth of his flock of sheep to The King Of Salem for the knowledge he had already but was provided in a more explanatory way, getting robbed, leaving behind loved ones, working harder for something he had lost but, arguably the hardest part was to be patient, hardworking and strong which he had to implement time after time and that is what made the achievement of the treasure worth it for Santiago.
Santiago is a heroic figure because he was always kind to others. He was always helping someone with something. For example: when Santiago was working at the Crystal shop, he helped the Crystal Merchant, improve his business. When Santiago was leaving the Crystal Shop, the merchant stated “You brought a new feeling into my Crystal Shop”(61). The Crystal Merchant is talking about how much Santiago has changed his business. Santiago has helped the merchant’s business by making a display case to put outside the store, cleaning all the crystal and adding new things, such as the tea. Santiago also helped an Englishman by helping him find the Alchemist. The Englishman wanted to speak to an alchemist. The Englishman stated “I need you to help me find out where the alchemist lives”(90). Because the Englishman requested for help, Santiago helped him. It took over half a day to find the alchemist, but fi...
This may be because of the very fact that their parents told them the same thing. When Santiago tells his father that he'll be a shepherd, he is breaking social norms like most people have to do to live out their dreams. Throughout the entire text Santiago has almost always been accompanied by a book. When he shows the king of Salem his book, when he exchanges his book when he enters the city that had the merchant's daughter, and when he was on his trip to the oasis, he has had a book with him. Santiago himself