How Does Coelho Present Santiago In The Alchemist

Throughout life connections between people form, and some of those bonds last a lifetime. In The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho the protagonist Santiago is on a journey through the Sahara Desert to accomplish his Personal Legend. The relationship between Santiago and the crystal merchant provides Santiago with a stable living and working environment; thus, forcing him to learn valuable lessons providing him a way to accomplish his Personal Legend.
Santiago was a good omen for the merchant. He had endowed good business for the merchant causing the merchant to value his presence, and be pleased with what Santiago had brought to the shop. “”I’d like you to work in my shop. Two customers came in today...that’s a good omen””(46). At first Santiago used

If the merchant had never taught Santiago the lesson he would have returned to his home land of Tangier and purchased a new herd of sheep, instead Santiago had carried the message he received from the merchant throughout his entire journey. “He was going to miss the place and all the good things he had learned” (63). There were times when Santiago would want to return to the familiarity of his sheep, but he knew what would be ahead of him would be vastly more important. He knew that he would never get another opportunity to travel to the pyramids that held his treasure. “I can always go back to being a shepherd the boy thought...But i’ll never get another chance to go to the pyramids of Egypt”(64). He would always remember the merchant and the education he received from him.
If it was not for the relationship between Santiago and the merchant, Santiago would have never had learned that there is more than just the simple way to life. Santiago had brought good omens and ideas to the shop, providing himself with a job allowing him to realise he must go after his own personal legend. He would alway appreciate the merchant, and what he had done for