Santiago is a shepherd who loves to travel and is told to go to the pyramids by Melchizedek, an old king, and while on his journey he meets many people like his love Fatima and his mentor the Alchemist. Eventually, he finds the pyramids and is told where his true treasure is. In the novel The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho describes the importance of a mentorship relationship to their students and how it can affect them. Through Santiago learning from the humans around him and nature. What Santiago learned from the nature around him was very important to his growth. Santiago realizes in the beginning when he looked up at the sun that where he was at the seminary he “couldn't have found God” (Coelho 13). Learning to respect the natural world and can't …show more content…
Likely, to what he learned from the sun, Santiago was content with himself making everyone around him comfortable. In addition to learning from nature, Santiago learns, from the Alchemist, that even as a shepherd it is important to know the questions of life. Santiago had many questions for the Alchemist about his life, and the Alchemist tells him that if he is following his heart and his personal legend, then “he knows everything he needs to know” (Coelho 146). Santiago realizes that since he has been following his personal legend, he already has learned what he desires. Then, the Alchemist informs him that he will not achieve his goals if he has “the fear of failure” (Coelho 146). Which makes him understand that it is his fear that is getting in his way and if he wants to succeed he can't be scared. Further, when the Alchemist and Santiago talked, the Alchemist explained that “every person on earth plays a central role”(Coelho 163). This teaches Santiago that even as a shepherd he is important, and it is important to know the questions of life. In addition, the Alchemist opens Santiago’s eyes and teaches him that wherever his treasure is, he “will also find your heart” (Coelho
Curious, courageous, young, adventurous: these are all words to describe Santiago, the protagonist in the novel The Alchemist. In this novel, Paulo Coelho develops Santiago’s character as a young boy who goes on an adventure to find his life’s purpose. Through the hero’s journey, Paulo Coelho insists that both internal and external struggles often cannot stop people from achieving their goals, ultimately encouraging people to fulfill self discovery and understand who they truly are.
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
One of Santiago’s first and most impactful teachers were his flock of sheep. Even though they could not speak to Santiago, they still shaped him into the person he was and ended up being. The lessons that the sheep taught Santiago were through his observation of the flock. “Once again he saw that, in the strange land, he was applying the same lessons he had learned with his sheep.” The prior quote shows that the lessons that the flock unintentionally taught Santiago stuck with him throughout his journey to find his personal legend. Some of the lessons that Santiago learned from his sheep were to treasure his independence and how simplicity and minimality was not always the best ways to live life. Santiago learned to treasure his independence through his sheep because while he was crossing the desert, he observed that the sheep would die without him and that he was their only lifeline. By this observation he came to value the fact that he is independent and does not live his life depending on another being to aid him in life. He learned that simplicity is not always key by observing the way his flocked lived. He noticed that the sheep only required the basic necessities, food, water, shelter, and sleep. He made the connection that the sheep are still alive off those basic needs, but that they are living on the most minimal amount possible. Santiago realized that he
In William Shakespeare’s play, Julius Caesar, the character Cassius is quoted famously for the line, “Men at some time are masters of their fates: the fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves.” (Act I Scene II). Paulo Coelho’s novel The Alchemist adheres to this reference as one follows the story of a young man pursuing his Personal Legend. We find through this story that Coelho is emphasizing the message Cassius uses to manipulate Brutus, that there is a need for each of us to break away from settling and finally determine our own fates.
Santiago is a shepherd from a small town in Spain and is the main character of The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. He is curious person and desires to learn all he can about the world. At the beginning of the story, he resisted his parent's desires that he become a priest and chose instead to work as a shepherd so that he would have the opportunity to travel throughout the country. For a time, being a shepherd satisfies his desire to travel and see the world until he dreams of uncovering a treasure hidden near the pyramids in Egypt. Santiago waits to chase after his dream until he meets Melchizedek, a mysterious old man who claims to be the king of Salem. After Melchizedek demonstrates to him the magical powers of nature, Santiago sets off to reveal
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
"Often in literature a character has a decision of which "path" to choose. Explain how a character in the book your read deals with this type of decision/conflict."
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
“And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it” (Coelho 23), these are the words an old king spoke to Santiago. This phrase constantly runs through Santiago’s mind while on his search for his treasure. Santiago, the novel’s protagonist, begins as a quiet sheep herder who has a recurring dream about being transported to the pyramids in Egypt by a child. Once Santiago met the old king, he decides to pursue his dream, find his treasure, and realize his destiny. Throughout The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, Santiago embodies curiosity, determination, and a naive nature through events that occur while on his search for his treasure.
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.
Have you ever encountered problems while trying to fulfill a goal in your life? In the book The Alchemist, written by Paulo Coelho, a shepherd boy named Santiago overcomes obstacles to reach his personal legend. Throughout the book Santiago encounters many friends to help him fulfill his destiny. Santiago encounters many problems throughout the story. He overcomes them with the help of his friends and his wife-to-be. These problems shape Santiago into a dignified man of many traits.
The Alchemist conveyed the up-most truthful meaning of santiago’s personal legend by teaching him the soul of the earth. This stage helped santiago and the Alchemist are talking doing what your personal legend is and also doing exactly what your personal legend desires are when they speak in terms of listening to one’s heart. “Whenever your heart is, that is where you’ll find your treasure. Santiago takes initiative on his dreams and pursue them regardless of love affairs and the hurt that comes along with it. The stage encouraged and also motivated santiago to find his treasure and make a better life for fatima and
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.