“The Alchemist” a novel written by Paulo Coelho, is about a boy named Santiago. A shepherd who yearns to travel to search for his a treasure he dreamt of that is extravagant as any ever found. Along the way to his journey Santiago learns from people and becomes wiser. Teaching us things that a few books teach us which is to listen to our hearts and become wiser from the things we come across above all to follow your dreams. Santiago begins his hero’s journey to pursue his dreams and go to an unknown world. A Call to Adventure is the starting point of the main character's journey of life’s purpose. Santiago’s call to adventure is about him trying to follow what he saw in his dream. As well as him finding his personal legend. “The old man …show more content…
“I want to stay at the oasis” the boy answered. I’ve found Fatima and as far as i’m concerned, she’s worth more than treasure”(pg 118). The way Santiago responded wasn’t easy for him since he didn't want to leave her but then he talked to the Alchemist. In the end he decided to continue his journey and he felt peace in his heart. This taught Santiago that if it is real love then his over would let him find his personal legend. This stage is where the character dies mentally or emotionally but is reborn and becomes wiser. Santiago death was when he left Fatima and his rebirth was when he was on his way to the pyramids and he began to listen to his heart. “To continue his search for his treasure meant that he had to abandon Fatima”(pg 118). “From then on, the boy understood his heart”(pg 135). Santiago at first wasn’t so willingly to leave but when he left he started to listen to his heart and felt joy. This stage helps Santiago become stronger emotionally and …show more content…
Santiago is accepted by society but now his view of life is different because he believes in the Soul of the World and understands omens. “Well, it's a long list but the path was written in the omens, and there was no way I could go wrong”(pg 165). The character responds to this stage is that he accepted the way things are and that if you are following your dreams the world and everything around you will help you achieve it. The significance of this stage is to show that if you follow your dreams and learn from others you will end up reaching your goals or
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...
First of all, the author shows that through persevering through adversity anyone can achieve their dreams. During the book Santiago continuously faces problems that he will have to overcome to achieve his Personal Legend. In this scenario, Santiago is in the city of Tangier when he is suddenly robbed of all of his money, by a thief who promised to take him to Egypt. However instead of thinking of himself as a victim of a thief he decides that “I’m an adventurer, looking for treasure” (34). Santiago was able to persevere through a situation that many people would not have been able to overcome and not able to continue their journey. Being able to persevere through
, he is pleased. Santiago continuously strives to see the best in people and not fear them. Finally, throughout the story, Santiago must also conquer the fears of failure, progression, and other situational worries. Santiago faces the possibility of failure to reach his goal many times (enotes.com). Despite the robbery, Santiago decides to continue his journey to Egypt instead of turning back.
Santiago’s journey was all about courage and strength. When Santiago travels to sell his sheep’s wool in the story, he is confronted by a stranger calling himself the King of Salem. He shared these words with Santiago, “And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” This inspires Santiago to achieve his goal of getting the treasure in his dreams. Later on in the story the Alchemist tells Santiago, “There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.” Many struggles come Santiago’s way on his journey, but this quote sums up how Santiago conquered his fear of failure, and was able to achieve his dream. Santiago followed every step of the hero's journey, and passed all of his challenges, and because of this Santiago is a true
He decided to stay right there and wait for his return… The sun began its departure, as well. The boy watched it through its trajectory for some time, until it was hiding behind the white houses surrounding the plaza. In addition, he couldn't fall back and living by being a shepherd as he had nothing, not even money to return and start everything over” (Coelho 38). Sometimes we can use hardships to prevent future harm, and never be painful. Another theme in Coelho’s novel was persistance. In his long journey he was discovering how to turn himself into the wind. As long as he was trying to turn himself into the wind, he was showing persistence and never gave up. “ Somewhere you are holding the person I love,’ the boy said. ‘So, when I look over your sands, I’m also looking at her. I want to return to her, so I need your help so I can turn myself into the wind,’” (Coelho 144). Furthermore, Santiago showed persistence by asking the desert, the wind, the sun, and then the creator himself for help, just to get to his Personal Legend, and taught them all about
Santiago is a young boy who fits into the flawed hero archetype. His story tells of his journey to find his Personal Legend and the many new people and experiences he encounters. Santiago is flawed in the way that he does not have enough confidence in himself to complete the task set out in front of him. He is constantly putting himself off track and avoiding what he has to do. In the beginning of his journey, he faces a setback and his money gets stolen. While finding a solution and a job, he gets distracted loses sight of his dreams. A couple months into the job, he thinks, “...Egypt was now just as distant a dream as was Mecca for the merchant…” (Coelho 58) and he glorifies his new plan to “disembark at Tarifa as a winner” (Coelho 58) with his improved flock of sheep. However, he continues his journey two years later, despite his break in confidence. When Santiago reaches the Oasis during his journey across the desert, he gets sidetracked once more by a woman. This woman’s name is Fatima. The second time they meet Santiago speaks without thinking and says, “‘I came to tell you just one thing...I want you to be my wife. I love you.’” (Coelho 98). This alone demonstrates his rash actions of an inexperienced hero who causes his dreams to be postponed. However, Santiago is also a successful hero despite his flaws. He still continues his journey, no matter what, and eventually reaches his goal. Even through
Santiago replies that he was meant to save the oasis. The man then tests Santiago’s courage and tell him that if Santiago manages to stay alive till sunset the next day, then he should come find him. Santiago asks him where he could be found and the man points towards the south. Santiago realizes that the man in the alchemist. The next morning, although the oasis is attacked, all but one of the intruders were killed, thanks to Santiago’s predictions and prompt action. In payment, Santiago receives fifty gold pieces and is asked to be the counselor for the oasis.
In conclusion, Santiago’s journey had different stages that got him closer to achieving his personal legend. Overall the Hero’s Journey of santiago was about him going through challenges and for him to trust in his heart. This can also be compared someone when wanting to accomplish something but then you would think you won’t be able to accomplish it. Clearly, he has been able to complete his journey through stages which had also got him closer to the end every time he has accomplished one of the stages, so the stages are also there so when passing a stage you will be able to keep going without any
This is held true to the first person Santiago meets who tricks him into being his friend but ends up stealing all of his money. This event brought even more blessing to Santiago to learn The Language of the world that allows Santiago to communicate with any person or thing because of the soul of the earth, the idea that everything is essentially alive and is in existence for cause and effect. In case Santiago is able to adapt to the Arabic lifestyle and clothes. It is essential for Santiago to blend in into society because people treat him differently when known that he is from a different land. How this influenced Santiago’s life is that it was a huge setback from his personal legend, nonetheless it is as the alchemist said, “What you still need to know is this: before a dream is realized, the Soul of the World tests everything that was learned along the way.
In this novel, Santiago would have to face his decisive event that would determine whether his goal will be achieved or not. This climax happened in the oasis and Santiago foresaw a life-threatening event towards the area which he told people. A horseman appeared pointed his sword towards Santiago’s forehead, questioning and interrogating him about his vision. He later put the sword down and told Santiago that it was just a test of his courage and sincerity about his goals. The strange person would eventually be the two-hundred-year-old alchemist who would help him find his treasure and
The king give a message about the dream “the secret of happiness is to see all the marvels of the world, and never to forget the drops of oil on the spoon’” (Coelho 32). His message to Santiago reminds him that by following his dream he will be seeing beautiful things and people, but that he should always remember the reason of his travels. If he stays on the correct path then the oil on his spoon should stay there from the beginning. The king led Santiago in the right direction towards his dream, but has also teach about how his travels is going to be. I like to consider him as a hero because we saw him how he crossing the Mediterranean Sea and leaving his homeland. He doesn’t know anything about the place, people and the language of this place. The fear was the first obstacle that everyone feels when is in a strange place and need to defeat for realizing their dreams, this I use to feel during my journey. I saw this fear in Santiago that follows him and struggle before and during his journey of achieving his personal legend. Santiago was kind of brave who overcame his problems with his bravery and patient. When his father told him he cannot travel he was smart with the coins that give his father he find a way to gain money for his journey. For me, it was different my family helps me to pay for my journey and agreed with e to move to the USA. He was stolen and beaten during his journey,
In the story Santiago is able to pursue his own dreams and is able to follow what his heart agreed for. It is a unforgettable story about the essential wisdom of listening to our heart and above all to following one own dream. A book of magic , dreams and treasure which is dwelling within each individual , which we seek else where and then find within us. Coelho shows his readers that for many people the biggest fear is to overcome their fear. In the story Coelho emphasize on a universal language , one that all creation speak.
When he was 38 years old he had a spiritual awakening that allowed him to write his 1st book. The book; The Alchemist, is a very moving story about following your dreams and listening to your hearts desires. The author Paulo Coelho wrote this story to inspire people to be confident about themselves despite the trials and circumstance one is facing. The strong message of the book is to follow your heart and drams, one must be fearless and be ready to sacrifice regardless of what might entail.
Santiago is, undoubtedly, crafted as a Christ figure, from his innocence to his crucifixion. His innocence is derived from the narrator’s doubt and the doubt invoked in the reader, that Santiago deflowered Angela prior to her marriage; he is murdered for this reason. In the novella, Santiago attempts to flee from Pedro and Pablo Vicario once he realizes that they are out to kill him; unfortunately, he does not make it into the safety of his home. As the stabbing progresses, Santiago stops defending himself and lets the brothers continue “knifing him against the door with alternate and easy stabs” (Márquez 118). With the surrender of Santiago, the entire town became horrified “by its own crime” (Márquez 118).
The Theme of “The Alchemist,” by Paulo Coelho is, always follow your dreams and listen to your heart. At the start of the novel Santiago does not know what he should do when he is confronted by his dream. But by the end of the novel Santiago completely trusts his heart to guide him though life. Santiago’s story shows him learning and living out the theme of the novel.