The Alchemist: A Hero's Journey

The term “Hero’s Journey” inspires the idea that all individuals who embark on that path are heroes. However, anti-heroes can also follow their own Hero’s Journey. Santiago, Edmond Dantes, and Odysseus are all examples of heroes and anti-heroes in literature. Heroes and anti-heroes differ greatly, yet some comparability remains between them, as shown through Santiago from The Alchemist, a hero, Edmond from The Count of Monte Cristo, an anti-hero, and Odysseus from The Odyssey, an anti-hero.

Santiago was undoubtedly a hero through his actions and strength along his Hero’s Journey. Santiago was respectable throughout his journey through the way he forged his own path for his life instead of letting others decide what he should be doing. For

example, Santiago’s parents wanted him to pursue a path of no interest for him. Instead of giving into their wishes, Santiago defied them and took a drastically different path, “They wanted me to be a priest, but I decided to become a shepherd.” The perseverance Santiago showed made him a hero as well. He faced many challenges and setbacks along his journey many people would have quit at. Santiago never lost hope, even when he was robbed of all of his money; he just found another way to continue. Another trait that made Santiago a hero was he believed in himself and knew the simplest ideas could offer up the most fantastic results. By listening and learning the Language of the World, Santiago was able to better understand and appreciate what happened around him. The love he found with Fatima helped him to better himself and to understand how to complete his transformation of turning into the wind, “When you are loved, you can do anything in creation. When you are loved, there’s no need at all to understand what’s happening, because everything happens within you, and even men can turn themselves into the wind.” Santiago was an exemplary hero through his actions and his pronounced characteristics of individuality, perseverance, and belief.
Edmond, in contrast to Santiago, was an anti-hero through his insatiable drive for revenge.

Although he was an anti-hero, Edmond started off his journey appearing to be a traditional hero. He was honorable and respectable, just as Santiago was, and even though he delivered a letter for Napoleon Bonaparte, his intentions were innocent. However, once Edmond was sent to Chateau d’If his character drastically changed to one of a ruthless and controlling nature. He showed he would stop at no means to get what he wanted when he staged a violent kidnapping and rescue of Albert Dantes to manipulate the family into trusting him. Edmond’s driving force, and the main aspect adding to his position as an anti-hero is his extreme need for revenge, which he will stop at nothing to get. Not only does he show he wants revenge, but he enjoys it, “...I should be more or less certain of killing my opponent. Oh, yes, indeed, I should fight a duel for any of these things; but in return for a slow, deep, infinite, eternal pain, I should return as nearly as possible a pain equivalent to the one inflicted on me.” Edmond takes pleasure in taking revenge on those who have wronged him and he takes matters to extreme measures. Before inflicting the pain done onto him to his adversaries, he spends a great deal of time manipulating them and their families, even those who are innocent of any wrongdoings. He completely ruined the lives of those who wronged him, for example, when Fernand stated Edmond had

taken Mercedes, Edmond said, “And everything else. Except your life.” Similar to Santiago, Edmond started his journey appearing to be a respectable hero, but nevertheless transformed into an anti-hero through his ruthlessness and liking for revenge.
Odysseus was a prime example of an anti-hero through his arrogance and self-absorption.

Similar to Edmond, Odysseus started his journey off as a well-respected and level-headed individual. He left a lasting impression on many he fought with of being courageous and strong-willed. Throughout the war he acted as a hero would and strived to do what was best for his land, people, and the men he was fighting next to. However, the courage Odysseus showed during the Trojan War often manifested itself into hubris, in turn making him an anti-hero. His extreme arrogance not only put himself in danger, but the lives of his men. Odysseus showed great courage and intelligence in Polyphemus’s cave, but when they escaped, Odysseus shouted, “Cyclops, if any mortal man ever asks you who it was that inflicted upon your eye this shameful blinding, tell him that you were blinded by Odysseus, sacker of cities. Laertes is his father, and he makes his home on Ithaca.” In doing so, he not only brought a curse of not returning home for years on himself, but he brought it down onto his men. An additional characteristic contributing to how Odysseus is an anti-hero is his selfishness and disregard for the safety of his men, ultimately leading to their deaths. When they were at the Cyclops’s cave his men begged him to leave before Polyphemus returned. Odysseus ignored them because he wanted to “see the giant himself, and test his hospitality.” His selfishness also led him to stay with Circe for a year,

all the while cheating on his wife, until his crew persuaded him into leaving. Likewise to Edmond, Odysseus started as a traditional hero, but his temptations led him to become an arrogant and self-absorbed anti-hero.
A wide range of differences exists, with some aspect of comparison, between heroes and anti-heroes, such as what is shown between the characters of Santiago, Edmond, and Odysseus. A prevalent characteristic in all of the characters was a strong will to continue and a sense of respectability. However, Edmond and Odysseus were both self-absorbed, whether it came to getting revenge or putting themselves before their men. The character who was the most heroic out of the three was Santiago. He persevered through many hardships and strived to connect with the world around him. Even when it appeared as though the world was fighting against him, he kept his head up and found another way to continue on his journey.