The Genius In Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist

In the beginning of the Alchemist, Santiago is in Spain looking across the strait to Africa, and the wind blows from Africa. And he says: “The levanter increased in intensity. Here I am, between my flock and my treasure, the boy thought” (pg 30). The diction implies the opposition of security by Santiago deciding not to stay with the sheep who represent those who do not wish to achieve their Personal Legend and chooses to realize his Personal Legend. The levanter increasing also created a frantic tone as the decision approached, and his heart made the decision for him in the moment resulting in the realization of his personal legend and his true happiness. The only way for someone to achieve happiness in one’s life, one must complete their

Personal Legend. In fact, the universe can only achieve perfection if all natural things continuously undergo a cycle of achieving their Personal Legend, evolving into a higher being with a new Personal Legend, and then pursuing a new goal. The universe conspires to help you achieve your Personal Legend because the universe only achieves perfection when all of the universes creations achieve their Personal Legend, and evolving to a higher level of knowing by adopting another Personal Legend and accomplishing it. The center theology of the Alchemist, through the achieving of one’s Personal Legend by an individual’s owe spiritual demand for happiness in life. For Santiago must ignore obstacles such as the sheep, Fatima and love which delay his ability to achieve his Personal Legend. The universe bestows favors upon those who achieve their Personal Legends, versus those who do not pursue their personal legend suffer through the penalties of no favors granted by the universe. Therefore the idea, all things living and nonliving should pursue their own individual dreams and ambitions, main theme of The Alchemist. In book, the Alchemist, Paulo Coelho demonstrates the theme that often times, failing to reach outside of one’s comfort zone may lead to a false sense of security and the suppressing of one’s true passions, resulting in one’s unhappiness.