Heroism In The Alchemist

As stated in How To Read Literature Like A Professor by Thomas C. Foster, “quests consist of five things, a questor, a place to go, a stated reason to go, challenges and trials en route and a real reason to go”. Based on the information from these elements, Santiago, the protagonist from The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho had experienced a quest in following his ‘personal legend’.

Santiago, a young shepherd form Spain, repeatedly had a dream about a child leading him to The Pyramids in Egypt. He was confused about these experiences until he met The Gypsy Woman, who enlightens him about personal legends, how everyone has one destined and how some follow the path to the finale and some give up or ignore realizing theirs. Santiago, being a brave

and curious young man, sets on his journey to achieve his personal legend as it required him travel, for which the character has abundant affection for but, it was neither as simple as just travelling nor was the treasure easy to find and fate had enough set for him.
The character, as discussed in the novel, has a severe temptation for travelling. Throughout the book, Santiago travels to plenty of places, and because of him being a shepherd, he explores all around Andalusia traveling to many autonomous communities for pasture for his flock of sheep and food, books and fine wine for him. He also goes to Egypt, where he gets robbed and is forced to work for the crystal merchant, parts of The Middle East and Africa and particularly joins a caravan near Al Fayoum where he meets the likes of Fatima, The Englishman and The Alchemist, the major supporting characters of the novel.
As indicated in the context of the book, the stated reason for Santiago to go on this quest was to pursue his personal legend. His personal legend was to acquire the treasure he dreamt about but, when he was close to the location of the treasure as promised by the king of Salem and The Gypsy Women, he realized that he ignored the main lesson of life, the interconnection which led him back to Spain where he started to find his treasure. If argued, his journey could be said to be worth more than the treasure as he learned many valuable life lessons from intellects like The Alchemist on his journey.
As a standard of a quest, challenges and trials are bound to be laid down for the questor to conquer as at the end that is what makes the treasure truly worth it.

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 changed in mighty different ways throughout the quest and although made it clear that nothing could stop him from conquering his personal legend, the real reason for him to pursue the quest has to be for him to gain life lessons, qualities like patience, bravery and maturity and as an additional bonus, the treasure. Finally, the argument can be concluded with the statement that The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho can qualify as a quest because as quoted in the novel “when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you achieve

it”.