In the novel, The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, Santiago embarks on a journey to discover his personal legend. After having a dream about hidden treasure in the Egyptian Pyramids, he meets with a Gypsy to interpret his dream. He then meets an old king who gives him wisdom for his travels. On his journey, he will interact with many different mentors that will teach him many different things to help him improve. When he first gets to Africa, he gets robbed and ends up finding a job with a crystal merchant. There he learns things “like how to deal with crystals” (Coelho 58) and how to “speak their strange language” (Coelho 57). Santago's time with the crystal merchant taught him how to sell crystals to customers in order to make money and speak the …show more content…
During his travels, Santiago learns the most while he is in the Oasis; a neutral community in the desert tribal wars. While traveling through the Oasis, he is accompanied by a camel driver, an Englishman, and other Arab travelers. The camel driver taught Santiago to “pay attention to the present” (Coelho 106). Rather than focusing on the future, he taught Santiago to instead focus on improving your present self and your future will benefit from it. In addition, one of the most important mentors Santiago met on his journey was The Alchemist. He taught Santiago many things like how “the world has a soul” (Coelho 85). All things created in the universe, like the world, the desert, and the wind, have souls. By shadowing The Alchemist, Santiago discovered he has inside him ”everything created in the universe” (Coelho 151). This includes the desert, the wind, the ocean, and the stars because everyone is “made by the same hand” and everyone has “the same soul” (Coelho 151). Being with The Alchemist has enlightened Santiago and his way of thinking, and ultimately improved him as a whole. The book ended with Santiago returning to the church with the sycamore tree growing out of
Santiago then sets out on yet another journey, to see the alchemist. The alchemist tells Santiago that he was going to point him in the direction of the treasure. Once again Santiago is at crossroads. He replies that he has already found his treasure, namely the money he received from the crystal shop and the chieftain, a camel, and also the woman he loves, Fatima. The alchemist reminds him that none of those were found at the Pyramids, which was his initial
In The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, Santiago is a poor Shepard. He travels across Spain and the middle east selling wool from his sheep. For some time, Santiago has been having the same dream about treasure by pyramids in Egypt. While selling wool in a small town, Santiago meets a gypsy. The gypsy who lives in Tarifa and interprets dreams. She reads palms and uses black magic iconography although she keeps images of Christ present. Santiago does not initially believe the gypsy. Until the king from Salem, King Mechizedek explains what a personal legend is to Santiago and that his personal legend is to find this treasure. Melchizedek convinces Santiago to sell his flock and set off to Tangier. Santiago decides to take the kings advices Santiago to sell his flock and travel to Tangier. Santiago decides to do just that. Until, that is. he is robbed in Tarifa. He was inside a bar, but didn't know Arabic. A person who spoke Spanish like him agreed to take him across the desert. Santiago gave him all of his money and followed him through a crowded market place. An ornate sword distracted him and the thief slipped away in the crowd. Santiago then gets a job with the crystal merchant. Santiago is there for about a year. In that time, he helps make the merchant rich. After a year, he travels to the pyramids to find his treasure. Santiago leaves and meets He joins a caravan traveling to Egypt.
Santiago is a shepherd trying to pursue his personal legend. His personal legend is the recurring dream about the hidden treasure at the foot of the Egyptian pyramids. In his dream he starts playing in a field with his sheep, when a child appeared and began to play with the animals. This was strange to him because sheep are afraid of strangers, but the sheep and children play along just fine. Then a child grabbed his hands and took him to the foot of the Egyptian pyramids. He begins his journey locally trying to find answers from a gypsy and a man named
In The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho an Andalusian boy named Santiago leaves Spain to travel to Egypt in order to achieve his Personal Legend. During his journey he meets four people, a Gypsy, a King named Melchizedek, an Englishman and an Alchemist, all of whom help Santiago along his journey towards his Personal Legend. However, only the King and the Alchemist teach Santiago lessons that he can learn from and use along his journey. The King teaches Santiago two lessons, to follow omens and that it is not always about the destination but that it is also about the journey. The Alchemist teaches Santiago to listen to his heart for guidance, what the Language of the World is and what the Soul of the World is. He eventually arrives in Egypt after
are characters that can be defined by their traits as certain archetypes. All novels and films contain archetypes that allow their audience to understand and relate more to
Primarily, Santiago listens to the omens of the desert and changes the oasis's fate, as well as his, by believing in himself and disclosing his vision to the chief. Throughout the novel, “In his pursuit of the dream, he was being constantly subjected to tests of his persistence and courage. So he could not be hasty, nor impatient. If he pushed forward impulsively, he would fail to see the signs and omens left by God along his path” (Coelho, 93). One of the many advices his "teachers" give is to listen to omens. Clearly, Santiago does that by disclosing the omen and vision he received from watching the hawks fight. Though what is most crucial is the fact that Santiago had the courage to explain his vision. Of course without his courage, Santiago would not have been able to communicate his vision to the chief, thus leaving the oasis and his Personal Legend in shambles. However, Santiago indicates his fate by showing courage and sharing his vision. Santiago and his mindset prove that "What we as adults fail to realize is that everything is possible until the moment we believe it is impossible. “When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it” (). This saying comes to life when Santiago has to turn himself into the wind. Santiago faces many confrontations against society, yet this confrontation is different. Santiago must achieve the
"If someone isn’t what others want them to be, the others become angry. Everyone seems to have a clear ideals of how other people should lead their lives, but none about their own.” That is one of many deep quotes that makes the reader truly think about life in The Alchemist, written by Paulo Coelho. The book is about a young boy named Santiago, who loves travel and adventure, but he does not have the money to do so. He was raised to be a priest, but decides that he would rather be a shepherd, so that he can travel. Santiago’s father gives him two spanish coins, and tells him that he will learn one day that no place is as beautiful as the one he lives in. It seems like Santiago’s father believes in him, but not the way Santiago wants him to.
We live in a world full of doubt and The Alchemist, a novel written by Paulo Coelho, surely grasps that concept. This is what human nature is to be cautious around the unknown and to not trust until the trust is earned, at least that is what I believe in.
His bravery is shown when he must turn himself into the wind to save his life. "The simum blew that day as it had never blown before. For generations thereafter, the Arabs recounted the legend of a boy who had turned himself into the wind, almost destroying a military camp, in defiance of the most powerful chief in the desert," (Coelho 157). Santiago knows he can’t perform this task, but decides to listen to the alchemist and not give into his fears. Santiago’s determination is shown in the novel when he decides to continue on his journey through the desert. "He suddenly felt tremendously happy. He could always go back to being a shepherd. He could always become a crystal salesman again. Maybe the world had other hidden treasures, but he had a dream, and he had met with a king. That doesn't happen to just anyone," (67). Santiago knows he will have to travel through an entire desert and face many unforeseen issues to get his treasure, but thought it would be worth it to follow his dreams. Throughout the book The Alchemist, Santiago is a brave and determined
Santiago’s early behavior of transcendentalism are evident when he nullifies and rejects his parents’ longing for him to become priest, and instead decides to remain a shepherd of Andalusia and learn the indecipherable language of the world. When Santiago’s father tries to persuade Santiago that travelling with a herd of sheep does not impact and change a person, Santiago replies, “But I’d like to see the castles in the towns where they live,”… “Well, I’d like to see their lands, and see how they live” (Coelho 9). Santiago’s early rejections of becoming a priest and perusing his life as a shepherd clearly demonstrates that Santiago’s comprehension and understanding of life does not include the following a decided future, but exploring and discovering the world with own eyes. Furthermore, when Santiago decides to define his Personal Legend by voyaging to the Pyramids of Giza, he is faced and challenged with many hardships that will require critical thinking and extremely important verdicts. When, for example, held hostage by Moorish chieftains and given the daunting task to disintegrate the Moorish military camp by transforming into the wind, Santiago communicates with nature’s elements, “I learned the alchemist’s secrets in my travels. I have inside me the winds, the deserts, the oceans, the stars, and everything created in the universe. We were all made by the same hand, and we have the same soul” (Coelho 146). Eventually, Santiago learns that all aspects of biotic and abiotic existence are controlled by a creator, and maintained by the Soul of the World. Manifestly, Santiago’s adventures revolutionized him into a prudent, wise man and reflect the
The first love obstacle santiago faces in the alchemist is when he has to leave everything and everyone he loves. He leaves behind the merchant's daughter, his parents , and his flock of sheep . “Whenever he could, he sought out a new road to travel” Santiago loved many people and things in his home town. He wanted to find his personal legend , so after he convinced his father this is the road he has chosen to take , Santiago begins his journey to find his personal legend.
There are countless heroes throughout literature. Their stories are all timeless and meaningful. The Alchemist, written by Paulo Coelho, is home to one of these heroes with an incredible quest. Interestingly, it is quite common to see quests and journeys throughout all literature. In the Alchemist, the protagonist, Santiago, goes through many stages of being a hero such as, call to adventure, refusal of the call, supernatural aid, crossing the threshold, and road of trials. Santiago clearly demonstrates all these stages throughout the entire novel.
Paulo Coelho’s novel, The Alchemist follows the ventures of Santiago, a young shepherd from an Andalusian town in Spain. He disobeyed his father’s wish to enroll at a seminary to become a Catholic priest; instead he became a shepherd in order to fulfill his dream to travel throughout the country, in fact the world. Throughout the novel, his character changes while he is on a journey to find his Personal Legend and to find his treasure that would make him rich. In the novel, he changes constantly and he somewhat represents mankind.
In The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho continuously shows how Santiago conquers fear and is greatly rewarded for it. In order to get his treasure and achieve his personal legend he must first travel through the well-known dangers of the desert. It is an extremely expensive trip that many do...
In the book the Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, Santiago’s call to adventure was to travel the world , experience life, and find his hidden treasure. This meant he would stop at nothing until he achieved so. This troublesome stage is a period where santiago is tested to grab his dream before it leaves without him.“I’m not going to charge anything now, but I want one tenth of the treasure if you find it.”This stage was very confusing for Santiago because he didn’t know why or how foreign people knew about his personal legend. Santiago chooses to pursue his legend due to a fortune-seer’s knowledge. This significance of this stage so prominently prone to santiago’s view from the inside, he finally chose to go because he knows that everything happens