Paulo Coelho: The Alchemist Set in Andalusia, Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist shows the journey of a boy named Santiago, a shepherd who travels from his homeland to the Egyptian desert in search of a treasure buried in the pyramids. Santiago was a religious boy, and was about to become a priest when he realized he wanted to travel, and so he became a shepherd. Although he had to take care of his sheep, he was able every day to live out his dream. Later in the book, he dreams of finding treasure, the idea of the dream coming true sparked his curiosity and so he went and found a lady to interpret his dreams, a gypsy. Santiago was so easily disappointed when he found out he must go to the pyramids in Egypt to find the treasure. Santiago is
While people come in all shapes in sizes, underneath it all we are still flesh and blood. Even if people have a different skin color or orientation we are all humans living on this earth. This idea, no this fact was really driven home to me when I was traveling with my family around the world. We met people in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Ecuador and though they looked and talked different they had the same needs, concerns and wants. I found a quote by Santiago, a boy in The Alchemist, written by Paulo Coelho that really explains this better than I ever could, “I have inside me the winds, the deserts, the oceans, the stars, and everything in the universe.
In the book, Santiago’s falls in love at first sight with her. He is absolutely star struck when he sees her. “At that moment, it seemed to him that time stood still... It was love”Alchemist(page). She almost stops Santiago from finding his treasure because he would rather stay with her in the oasis, but she urges him to go to Egypt because she believes that if it’s meant to be he will return to her, thus inspiring him even further.
Santiago's epiphany leads to him pushing forward and finishing his journey of achieving his ultimate treasure of hope and
For example, after Santiago travels back to Andalusia and digs inside the abandoned church, he finds a chest full of treasure. He thinks about how he was able to reach his treasure and achieve his Personal Legend; “It's true; life really is generous to those who pursue their Personal Legend, the boy thought" (170). Santiago decided to follow his dream and never gave up, even when he was robbed in Tangier. As a result, he met many people, including Fatima, the love of his life, and learned many important lessons from them. Finally, he found his treasure.
“The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho tells the story of a young man named Santiago who is given the opportunity to find his ‘Personal Legend,’ and is given help to notice the omens around him by using two stones. When Santiago has this recurring dream about the pyramids, he decides to go see a fortune teller. After meeting with her and feeling very skeptical, he meets an old king who tells him the exact same thing the fortune teller had told him and gives Santiago the two stones to help him find his treasure. “He ran his fingers slowly over the stones, sensing their temperatures and feeling their surfaces. They were his treasure.
He is the last character Santiago with in his journey, and he guides him the rest of the trip to the pyramids. The alchemist teaches Santiago to listen to his heart. “The boy and his heart had become friends, and neither was capable now of betraying the other. When his heart spoke to him, it was to provide a stimulus to the boy, and to give him strength, because the days of silence there in the desert were wearisome.” (Coelho 139)
While at the Oasis of Al-Fayoum, the elder chieftain of the oasis tells Santiago the story of Joseph of Egypt. Joseph was enslaved for being a dreamer, but he persevered and managed to become an important counselor to the Pharaoh of Egypt. This Personal Legend could have suited Santiago because of his connection to the Soul of the World. The Soul of the World is a spiritual unity that binds all forms of nature together. Santiago knew he wanted to follow his dreams; it was helpful when he learned that “When you want something, all the universe conspires to help you achieve it” because he knew he was now destined to complete his goal, and not somebody else’s (Coelho 64).
Thinks Santiago “I am learning the Language of the World, and everything in the world is beginning to make sense to me” (Coelho 103). Temporarily residing in the desert, the young shepard becomes aware of the environment around him, and the deeper meanings in the world. Located in the desert for a long time allows Santigo to learn of the connections between the world of souls and his present through his journey to the treasure. Wisely states Santiago, “‘I learned the alchemist’s secrets in my travels.
Santiago then gives up and refuses to go to Egypt for his treasure. The dream interpreter does not give Santiago
Paulo Coehlo’s, The Alchemist, explores the Hero’s Journey through the story of a shepherd, Santiago. Throughout the novel, Santiago becomes more aware of his potential as he pursues his Personal Legend. He faces temptations and obstacles as he develops as a character. The hero crosses the threshold when they leave their old reality in search for a new one. Santiago crosses the threshold by selling his sheep and taking a boat to Africa.
While Santiago originally sets out for his treasure of material riches, the treasure he values most has been transformed to that of knowledge and love along his journey. The theme of treasure appears early on in the story and inspires Santiago’s journey. One night while herding his flock, he dreams that there is buried treasure waiting for him at the pyramids of Egypt. After seeking advice from a gypsy who interprets his dream, she again confirms that at the pyramids of Egypt, “there you will find your treasure” (14).
The Alchemist is a famous book written by Paulo Coelho. It’s about a shepherd named Santiago who travels from his homeland Spain to the Pyramids in Egypt. He does this to find a treasure he was told about. Along his hard journey, he meets some people along the way like a gypsy woman and a king in disguise who all direct him towards his quest. He doesn’t let the obstacles stop him toward his goal and eventually he finds his treasure.
The decision was difficult as both options don’t provide him a steady choice. As being a shepherd does not promise him to be with the merchant daughter and for finding a treasure he need to give up his well settled life. But at the end he chose to find treasure as it allows him to purse his personal legend or dram of travelling throughout the world. He always considers his choice before taking a decision this can be seen through this conversation of Santiago with himself, “Here, I am between my flock and my treasure, the boy thought. He had to choose between something he had become accustomed to and something he wanted to have.
During his journey, Santiago receives knowledge that he treasures and uses on his behalf when he hopes to achieve his personal legend. During his time with the Crystal merchant Santiago learned the five sacred obligations of all Muslims, and he learned that the Pyramids were not nearly as close as he thought when he arrived in Africa. During his time with the Alchemist he learned how to find life in the desert, and how to
He thought it’s waste of time and money. Later in the novel, the man who beats Santiago does not believe his own dream, but when he describes his dream to Santiago, Santiago recognizes it as an omen telling him where to find the treasure (Coelho 167). Thus, it’s the person loss as he ignored dream. The importance of actual, sleeping dreams parallels the importance of personal, symbolic dreams as embodied by Personal Legends. Thus, dreams require backbreaking work and determination to sacrifice anything to make it come true.