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Theme of the novel alchemist by paulo coelho
Theme of the novel alchemist by paulo coelho
Themes of the alchemist by paulo coelho
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When analyzing the importance of the structure and substance of a work of literature, people often times make the blunder of only putting emphasis on the substance. Instead of regarding the substance and structure of a novel as two vastly different things, they should think of them as a Christmas tree. If the structure was the bare pine tree, then the substance would be all the ornaments used to decorate the tree, and together they are a Christmas tree. But without the tree itself, the Christmas tree would not exist, for there would be no place for the ornaments to hang on. (Terlaje) In the same way, the substance of a story is dependent on the structure, because the structure lays down the foundation for the substance. Once an author is aware of this, they should be able to achieve pathos- the persuasion of the audience by appealing to their emotions. (Comp. Notes) Paulo Coelho had recognized this, which is why his novel, The Alchemist, has sold more than 30 million copies in 56 different languages worldwide. (Wikipedia) Although The Alchemist is written in such a way that it can be easily understood, the novel’s structure and substance is for more complex and profound, making use of interconnected fables in order to reveal a deeper meaning allegorically. This is achieved through the novel’s structure as a parable, the allusions and parallels found in the novel, and the use of archetypes as symbols.
An allusion is defined as “a person, place, or thing that subtly hints at or pints to a commonly understood reference in time or space that is either actual or fictional.” (Terlaje) In order to know what constitutes an allusion, one must draw out parallels in two or more stories as a way of revealing the simil...
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“The gravest mistake a student makes when taking on a writing assignment is making the assumption that the audience is the teacher.” (Terlaje) However, instead of making the same mistake students often make, Paulo Coelho did not target one specific audience or “teacher” when he wrote The Alchemist. Through the art of story-telling, Coelho took the universal truth stating that everyone should live out their personal legends, and turned it into the eminent novel that is The Alchemist. Coelho wrote in “the language of the world;” captivating his audience with his wise words about the human life experience. Through the novel’s structure as a parable, the allusions and parallels found in the novel, and the use of archetypes as symbols, Coelho has written a novel that can still be valued by a wide array of people around the world.
In society, there is a thing called a hero’s journey. It is when our destiny is before us, and with the choices we make, depict our course for the rest of our lives. In the novel The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho and Cinderella Man directed by Ron Howard show how the hero’s journey affects Santiago and Jim Braddock lives.
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.
“Only time will tell”. This common phrase states that the truth and true essence of everything will be revealed as time endures. Written in 700 B.C.E, Homer’s nostalgic epic poem, The Odyssey, has inspired many writers to follow. Nearly 30 centuries later, this classic indirectly influenced Paulo Coelho's writing of The Alchemist. Despite the myriad differences on the surface, The Odyssey and The Alchemist have many connecting parallels. The protagonist in each of the examples of the hero’s journey learned countless lessons along the way that can be taught to everyone. The most prominent of which are the dangers of fear, the importance of perseverance, and the seriousness of pursuing what you love.
The heart of a child is one free of fear. It is brave and courageous; uncontaminated by any sources of doubt. Therefore, during the tender age of childhood, one is able to form ideas that those older are unable to even entertain. It is only when one comes of age, that he faces predicaments which cause him to question whether his dream should be pursued. In such circumstances, the individual either comes to consider his dreams too impractical to achieve and chooses to submit to that uncertainty, or chooses to overcome his fears and pursue his dream. Such is apparent in various events throughout Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist. In several circumstances, individuals are faced with the option of conformity as it is depicted as the result of fearing
An allusion is a reference to a famous person, place, or historical event. Ray Bradbury wrote the book, Fahrenheit 451, which is filled with all sorts of allusions . The book is about people living in a dystopia where it is a crime to read books. If you are caught reading a book your house will be burnt down by the firemen. Which is ironic because firemen usually put out fires rather than start them. Since the government has so much power over the citizens, they have no knowledge other than the facts they are told in school. Their society has become brainwashed ,and act like robots. The people have no feelings , but that will soon change with help from the book people. To provide deeper meaning Bradbury includes
Allusion is defined as a figure of speech that alludes to popular, or well-known literature, event, setting, or person. (Jason Lineberger, Allusion in Literature) In ancient Greek mythology, Phaethon was the demigod son of Apollo who took on more responsibility than he was ready for-eventually forging his own downfall. Within the piece, the speaker tells his son the story of Apollo and Phaethon, tying ancient mythology to the present day. Similar to the way Phaethon believed he held the responsibility to drive the sun chariot in the archaic myths, the speaker’s son boasts the same mindset- believing he could drive the car; however, the speaker believes his son will follow the same path as Phaethon and fail in his attempts to drive the car. To illustrate this idea, the speaker begins by introducing Apollo and Phaethon’s parent-child relationship: “Apollo through the heavens rode/ In glinting gold attire/… His darling son was Phaethon, / Who begged to have a try.” (Lines 1, 2, 7, 8) The father, is the one in charge, carrying more responsibility and has to “… [hold the horses] to their frantic course” (line 5). Subsequently, the son is the one who wishes to carry more responsibility than
Allusion is when the author inputs other literature characters or stories into a comedic situation. The two thieves are out for cold hard cash, and decide their “victim [would be] the only child of a prominent citizen named Ebenezer Dorset,” (Henry, pg.1) from the Southern Alabama town. After kidnapping Ebenezer’s son, the father responds
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
Santiago guides his flock throughout the fields of Andalusia. He finds an old abandoned church and churchyard where he and his flock can spend the night. He sleeps on the stone floor using his book as a pillow. He anticipates his approach the Andalusian village where, one year prior, he met a merchant's daughter. Santiago and his flock approach the town. He has been herding this flock for two years. He often reflects about what he has learned from his sheep and what they have learned from him. He observes that the sheep depend fully on him to lead them to food and water. Not having to forage food for themselves, they have forgotten their instincts.
“ Where your treasure is, there also will be your heart”(159). This is what the alchemist said to the main character. The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho, tells a story of a boy named Santiago, who goes on a long journey to discover his personal legend. As Santiago goes on his journey to pursue his personal legend, he is faced with many challenges, as well as left to make difficult decisions that change him forever. As Santiago travels the world, he becomes a hero. In The Alchemist, Santiago shows characteristics, as well as archetypal characteristics that make him a hero. Santiago displays kindness, bravery and wisdom; also he is considered a hero because he displays many characteristics of an archetypal hero. He displays archetypal characteristics such as: receiving supernatural help, proving himself many times and receiving an apotheosis.
...In conclusion, we can say that after applying Joseph Campbell's theory of The Monomyth on The Alchemist; it is noticeable that despite The Alchemist being a postmodernism wok of literature, the author Coelho used all major patterns of the hero's journey of ancient myth in his novel and this developed Santiago's journey from an ordinary one into an archetypal one.
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 Theme of “The Alchemist,” by Paulo Coelho is, always follow your dreams and listen to your heart. At the start of the novel Santiago does not know what he should do when he is confronted by his dream. But by the end of the novel Santiago completely trusts his heart to guide him though life. Santiago’s story shows him learning and living out the theme of the novel.
There are many obstacles in everyday life, but none as detrimental to ones future as fear. Fear can cause people to not only avoid achieving their goals in life but it also forces them to think about it throughout every day. Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist shows that those who wallow in fear will never achieve their personal legend, and those who conquer fear will achieve anything they strive for. Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist is a commonly analyzed and criticized piece of literature. One of these articles is Rejendra Kumar Dash’s “Alchemy of the Soul: A Comparative Study of Hermann Hesse’s Siddhartha and Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist”. Dash’s article is a literary criticism of the different parts of the character’s journey in The Alchemist. He talks about, in his article, how the theme in The Alchemist is found through analyzing the different parts of Santiago’s journey and what those parts mean. Another one of these articles is Lily Hasanah’s “Decision Making in Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist”. Hasanah’s article is a literary criticism of the main character in The Alchemist, Santiago. She searches for the theme in The Alchemist through analyzing the decisions, and the outcomes of those decisions, made by Santiago. Paulo Coelho provides access to his theme, for the most part, though the actions and adventures of the main character, Santiago. Although this is the method of delivery he had in mind, Dash and Hasanah view the delivery of his theme differently.
Allusion, or a passing reference to something in the Bible, history, or literature, is used in the play as a way of letting the reader and audience gain depth into the story and overall it helps the actors get the meaning they are trying to convey across to the audience.