Metaphors In The Alchemist

Many people around the world interpret dreams and believe in omens as a part of their religion. In “The Alchemist,” by Paulo Coelho, the author centers the novel on the “Soul of the World”, which deals with omens, dreams and the ability to connect with God. The main character, Santiago interprets what the “soul of the world” is telling him and goes in search of his treasure. Throughout the novel Coelho reveals what the “soul of the World” means to him through imagery, personification, simile and metaphors.
In “The Alchemist”, Santiago, the main character has a dream of finding treasure at the Egyptian pyramids and finds it non coincidental that this dream has occurred twice. In that time period it would mean that his dream was an omen or a sign to make journey to go and find the mysterious treasure. According to scholar Maria Louw, “Dream omens embody peoples’ fears about, hopes for, how their lives may develop” (Louw 1). Santiago was encouraged by a gypsy who interpreted dreams and understood

Santiago had to look deep within himself, find peace and talk to the sand. He depended on the love he had for Fatima in order to save himself and to communicate with the part of the world that did not know man’s language. In the novel it states, “The sun thought for a minute. The wind was listening closely, and wanted to tell every corner of the world that the sun’s wisdom had its limitations. That it was unable to deal with this boy who spoke the language of the world” (Coelho 85). The author uses magic realism in this novel to prove that anything is possible and to never let fear become an obstacle. Santiago accomplished what he believed that he could not do and realized that the wind, sand nor the sun held the answer, but rather the higher power did, which initially is