Theme Of Dreams In The Alchemist

The Beauty of Dreaming: How Dreams Drive the Individual From a toddler’s first steps to a senior graduating high school, dreams have been embedded within an individual for their entire lifetime. It is these dreams that drive an individual to take certain risks and struggle periodically in order to achieve their ultimate desires. It is these dreams that bring individuals to challenge their capabilities to higher standards. It is these dreams that would help one’s well being, and inspires others to perform better as well. The formation and creation of dreams have inspired fictional characters such as Santiago of The Alchemist written by Paulo Coelho. It also applied to the real life Mirabal sisters of In the Time of the Butterflies written

Along the way, he meets many individuals who guide him along his quest, such as the King of Salem, an Englishman, and an alchemist. These individuals emphasize recurring ideas throughout the novel such as achieving a Personal Legend, or talk of the Soul of the World. They have similar philosophies and ways to live life, so they are able to tell Santiago similar messages to why they believe certain things. Personal Legends are a euphemism for dreams or goals. Furthermore, Santiago hears from the Alchemist that dreams come from a special place. He explains, “Wherever your heart is, that is where you will find your treasure”(Coelho 132). This idea leads the reader to believe that the heart, soul, and mind are a combination of what forms dreams, as explained by other characters that helped the reader understand this

For instance, Maria Teresa’s passion truly ignited thanks to Minerva’s work. She writes, “I don’t know where my crazy sister gets all this courage!...Everyone was beating on the bars, calling out Viva las Mariposas! Something big and powerful spread its wings inside me. Courage...this time I felt it”(Alvarez 238). The reader can develop the conclusion that the quote demonstrates Maria Teresa’s development to Minerva’s status of a radical, and how Minerva’s dreams affected Maria Teresa herself. Seeing Minerva would drive Maria Teresa to become a more powerful individual. Likewise, Dede had been largely influenced by other people’s dreams. Dede has once more been influenced by Minerva’s goals of fighting El Jefe. When stopped by police, Dede had told them, “My name is Minerva Mirabal” (Alvarez 277). This signifies Dede representing Minerva in terms of her dreams and motives, showing that she is one of them. Since the Mirabel sisters had a common dream for freedom thanks to each other’s struggles and successes, they can together be named Las Mariposas, which symbolized