Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist

Everyday, humans live their lives in fear of the world surrounding them. They awaken to the apprehension of a new day, unnerved at all the challenges that will undoubtedly present themselves. It is often thought that through the perseverance of facing these challenges, dreams are born. In The Alchemist, written by Paulo Coelho, dreams and aspirations play an essential role in the tale of Santiago. Santiago is a shepherd who decides he wants more out of live after perceiving premonitions about a supposed hidden treasure near the Egyptian Pyramids. He encounters an old king who has a few wise words for him. Along his journey, he discovers more than riches and fame. What started out as a simple task has transformed into a quest to discover the

Collectively, society is built upon a foundation of tradition and culture. In The Alchemist, the story centers around a small Spanish town called Andalusia. Andalusia is on the outskirts of Spain, and as such, has very close ties with the neighboring Arab countries. Santiago’s journey brings him into contact with both cultures, each offering interesting traditions. Three ideas that are immensely prevalent within both cultures are nature as a powerful force, mutual respect for everyone, and strong familial ties. First off, nature is viewed as a force beyond human comprehension. Prior to the urbanization that has begun to sprout across the continents, the Spanish and the Arabs believed that nature and its people are one and the same. They thought that everything had a soul, even rocks. This thinking led to the idea that a person was able to tap into that soul to complete extraordinary feats. In the novel, this is referred to as “The Soul of the World”. Secondly, both cultures felt everyone deserved mutual respect. During the time period of this novel, women were held in a different class from men, but nonetheless, they were given unalienable respect. Enormous responsibility was placed upon positions that people held within

In The Alchemist, Santiago is a character that undergoes a tremendous transformation as a person. In the beginning, Santiago is acutely timid and close-minded. His daily life consists of protecting his sheep and preparing them for market. All of that changes though when he encounters an old wise man. This man claims to be a king from a distant land. He offers Santiago advice about the meaning behind his promotions; this leads to an expedition to the Egyptian Pyramids. His journey transmutes mind, body, and spirit and two traits begin to flourish: willingness and openness. His first trait of willingness refers to his go-with-the flow attitude towards life. He accepts things as they appear without questioning them, without fighting them. Santiago withstands failures and realizes he cannot change what has already been done. This trait is often mirrored in Santiago’s endurance to hardships during his travels. While he makes mistakes, he learns for them to help further his goal of realizing his destiny. His second trait of openness refers to his ability to see both the physical and spiritual realms on the same level. Santiago constantly strives to see more than what is right at the tip of his nose; he seeks to discover the other aspects of the world that often go unnoticed. In the novel, he utilizes this trait to help identify what he calls “good omens”. These omens are