Obstacles In The Alchemist

Life is a pathway sporadically scattered with obstacles. Obstacles can be handled in two ways: by running away from them in fear or being able to confront them face-to-face. Paulo Coehlo signifies the importance of the latter; that is, to not avoid the obstacle. In the novel The Alchemist, Paulo Coehlo uses symbolism to illustrate that overcoming obstacles and struggles can make an individual achieve growth. The movements of the caravan through the vast desert conveys the notion of getting over obstacles being necessary to achieve growth. Occasionally, obstacles burst into view and the procession had to redirect yet “no matter how many detours and adjustments… the caravan moved towards the same compass point” (75). With each obstacle, the

But first, there was the fear of failure which had to be leaped over: “There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve… the fear of failure” (141). This was the Alchemist speaking with Santiago. At the time, he was fearful of failing which was an obstacle to development. Eventually, he grew out of that fear, and overcame it to make it so that “the Arabs recounted the legend of a boy who had turned himself into the wind in defiance of the most powerful chief of the desert” (153). This shows that Santiago, without the fear of failure when he performed the act, achieved a great length to overcome the physical obstacle of being in the camp. He was able to get further in his journey as a result. This shows that if one confronts the complication, they can achieve great things. In a typical life path, obstacles often appear with no warning. The Alchemist states that when one attempts to avoid the obstacle, they will be held back from moving along the path. What is a obstacle true to life? It is, for example, a start-up one may decide to open. The lack of capital from the start may pose as a hurdle. But if they decide to avoid this obstacle, the start-up may not be sparked at all. If they confront it, on the other hand, the start-up may become successful. Any hurdle hurdled leads to