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Character development in The Alchemist
Character development in The Alchemist
Character development in The Alchemist
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In The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho, novel, Coelho talks about finding the Personal legend of your life which is the spiritual purpose for each person's life. very few people will actually achieve their personal legends in their lifetime. There are certain moments in a person’s life that will dictate what will happen for the rest of their life. The first choices that you make when you are younger determine, if and/or when you will find your personal legend in life. In Tangier, where Santiago was robbed helped him to be able to be set onto the right path to find his personal legend. As a result of Santiago losing his money in Tangier, he met many people who played a vital role in finding his personal legend. Due to this incident, he was able to meet the Crystal Merchant and learned a great When the Englishman mentioned the Alchemist the boy had never heard of him and wondered if the people in the oasis did not know about him just like Santiago had not. ”"I had never heard of alchemists before," the boy said. "Maybe no one here has, either."” (p. 50). Santiago had never heard of the Alchemist, but the Englishman told him about the Alchemist and that he needed help to find the him. Later on, we, the reader, learn that the Alchemist could not help the Englishman, but he could help Santiago on his quest to reach his personal legend. Lastly, Santiago would have never met the refugees of the tribal wars who told him where him where his treasure was. The tribal refugees told Santiago about his dream; “I dreamed that I should travel to the fields of Spain and look for a ruined church where shepherds and their sheep slept. In my dream, there was a sycamore growing out of the ruins of the sacristy, and I was told that, if I dug at the roots of the sycamore, I would find a hidden treasure. But I'm
Santiago replies that he was meant to save the oasis. The man then tests Santiago’s courage and tell him that if Santiago manages to stay alive till sunset the next day, then he should come find him. Santiago asks him where he could be found and the man points towards the south. Santiago realizes that the man in the alchemist. The next morning, although the oasis is attacked, all but one of the intruders were killed, thanks to Santiago’s predictions and prompt action. In payment, Santiago receives fifty gold pieces and is asked to be the counselor for the oasis.
In The Alchemist Paulo Coelho presents a character, Santiago, torn between following tradition and his Personal Legend. Santiago tries to live true to his Personal Legend, which is a path pursued by those who strive to fulfill their purpose in life. Yet throughout the novel tradition, a motif, presents itself as a roadblock holding Santiago back from reaching his dreams. Coelho juxtaposes tradition against Personal Legend to illustrate its purely individual nature and the necessity of the acceptance of change to reach one’s dreams and goals.
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
Coelho incorporates many internal struggles into Santiago’s life in order to prove that they don’t restrain people from achieving their personal legend. Through the use of the hero’s journey, Santiago faces many internal struggles such as when he attempts to understand
First of all, the author shows that through persevering through adversity anyone can achieve their dreams. During the book Santiago continuously faces problems that he will have to overcome to achieve his Personal Legend. In this scenario, Santiago is in the city of Tangier when he is suddenly robbed of all of his money, by a thief who promised to take him to Egypt. However instead of thinking of himself as a victim of a thief he decides that “I’m an adventurer, looking for treasure” (34). Santiago was able to persevere through a situation that many people would not have been able to overcome and not able to continue their journey. Being able to persevere through
Santiago is a young boy who fits into the flawed hero archetype. His story tells of his journey to find his Personal Legend and the many new people and experiences he encounters. Santiago is flawed in the way that he does not have enough confidence in himself to complete the task set out in front of him. He is constantly putting himself off track and avoiding what he has to do. In the beginning of his journey, he faces a setback and his money gets stolen. While finding a solution and a job, he gets distracted loses sight of his dreams. A couple months into the job, he thinks, “...Egypt was now just as distant a dream as was Mecca for the merchant…” (Coelho 58) and he glorifies his new plan to “disembark at Tarifa as a winner” (Coelho 58) with his improved flock of sheep. However, he continues his journey two years later, despite his break in confidence. When Santiago reaches the Oasis during his journey across the desert, he gets sidetracked once more by a woman. This woman’s name is Fatima. The second time they meet Santiago speaks without thinking and says, “‘I came to tell you just one thing...I want you to be my wife. I love you.’” (Coelho 98). This alone demonstrates his rash actions of an inexperienced hero who causes his dreams to be postponed. However, Santiago is also a successful hero despite his flaws. He still continues his journey, no matter what, and eventually reaches his goal. Even through
The quest that every hero begins, starts with a mission; be it through a dream, people, an object of some sort, or animals. Santiago’s quest was triggered by the former, a dream. Followed by the meeting of two people, a romani woman and a king. It is at a point after, that Santiago endures a dream of the vast Egyptian desert. Due to the recurring nature of the dream, he pursues a clairvoyant amidst the romani people. Upon discovery of the woman, she asks Santiago of what had ensued during the course of his dream. He inturn he told of how “[a] child took [him] by both hands and transported [him] to the Egyptian pyramids”(13). The romani told him that, in order for her to interpret his dream, as he had gone to her for, he must give her a portion of the treasure.The rationalization that follows with this, is the idea that since a child was the one who had shown Santiago the treasure, that it must exist. Without much time passing, Santiago had came across an old man, who through claim, was allegedly the King of Salem. ...
"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.
A shepherd and an alchemist seem to be stark opposites. A poor sheep herder who lives from the land, alone with his sheep compared to an Alchemist. Rich, powerful, and highly sought out. However, the two have more in common than you might think. They both live with a goal, or a “Personal Legend” (21) as the Alchemist may have put it, that gives them a reason to keep going until they achieve that goal. In the book The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, the main character is named Santiago, who happens to be both, a shepherd and and alchemist. Santiago’s Personal Legend is to find the Egyption Pyramids that will give him treasure. Many people help him along the way to achieve this Personal Legend,however there is
In the novel the alchemist tells Santiago that “when you possess great treasures within you and try and tell others of them, seldom you are believed.” The alchemist tells santiago this after he informs the tribal warriors that he has a philosopher's stone, a stone that can turn any metal into gold, and a drink that can make anyone life forever but they just laugh at him. Another time is when the boy is doubted when he informs the chief of the oasis that a group of tribal warriors is going
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 is a heroic figure because he was always kind to others. He was always helping someone with something. For example: when Santiago was working at the Crystal shop, he helped the Crystal Merchant, improve his business. When Santiago was leaving the Crystal Shop, the merchant stated “You brought a new feeling into my Crystal Shop”(61). The Crystal Merchant is talking about how much Santiago has changed his business. Santiago has helped the merchant’s business by making a display case to put outside the store, cleaning all the crystal and adding new things, such as the tea. Santiago also helped an Englishman by helping him find the Alchemist. The Englishman wanted to speak to an alchemist. The Englishman stated “I need you to help me find out where the alchemist lives”(90). Because the Englishman requested for help, Santiago helped him. It took over half a day to find the alchemist, but fi...
During his time working there, the merchant showed Santiago another reason why it is so important for one to pursue their Personal Legend (if you do not understand already, personal legends are basically destinies). By this point in the novel, Santiago’s Personal Legend has already been revealed: to go to Egypt’s pyramids where he will find a great treasure. Up until this point, Santiago already understands that achieving your Personal Legends is a pretty dope idea. I mean who does not want treasure right? The crystal merchant is shown as a prime example of someone who failed to pursue his own Personal Legend. Being a very religious man, he believed his Personal Legend was to follow the five obligations of Muslim law. The fifth obligation is for every Muslim to visit the holy city of Mecca, a...
The idea of a Personal Legend can mean different things to different individuals based on the life they have lived. For some, their legend may be to save a life, become a doctor, or even achieve happiness. It takes some people a longer time to find and achieve this legend, but I have been blessed to have realized my Personal Legend at a young age. My Personal Legend is to lead those who are lost to Christ and project God’s love with my helpfulness, advice-giving, and overall generosity as a person. The Alchemist somewhat reminded me of God’s power as my creator.
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.