Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist

The Alchemist is the story of a young boy named Santiago. We follow his journey as a shepherd, whose curiosity of a reoccurring dream that embarks him on a journey across the desert. Santiago wants to travel and understand life outside of his normal surroundings. His parents don’t entirely agree with his decision, they had plans for him to become a priest. His father told him the only way he can travel is if he became a Shepard. Santiago agreed and made the adult decision to leave his home and begin exploring the world. Being a shepherd wasn’t his ideal plan, but it was the first step to fulfilling his dream. Readers can relate to Santiago in various aspects. As the reader, I could relate to Santiago. We all start somewhere, whether it be

He gives him money in order to travel to the pyramids. In life we are handed unexpected opportunities. We either can take them or take too long thinking about them, which can possibly lead to losing it. Santiago decides to drop his life as a Sheppard and travel to Africa. Upon arriving he is manipulated by a thief and robbed of his money. Left with nothing he contemplated leaving and going back to live his ordinary life. We hit bumps on the road to success. It can be aggravating and leave us feeling worthless. At that point we have to decide whether to move forward or to give up. Santiago decided to keep moving forward, he has come too far to give up. Starving and nowhere to go too, he offers to clean glass for a merchant. The very skeptical merchant agrees. Time goes by and Santiago unexpectedly has become a very important asset to the business. With enough money to go back home, he is now at a crossroad. He can go back home or go with his original plan to reach the pyramids. Individuals often hit a point in their lives, when they are comfortable with their current situation. They may not have fulfilled their dream, but it may no longer seem absolutely necessary. As we grow older we have more options that can distract us from our original

He wants to travel to visit the “Mecca”. It is very unlikely that he would do so. Many of us throw our goals and dreams to the side, convincing ourselves that eventually we will reach it. Santiago wants to achieve his personal legend and understands that the world is working with him. He goes on and ends up travelling with men, woman, and children through the dessert. He needs to adapt in order to survive. This signifies the absolute toughest part of our journey to fulfilling our personal legend. It signifies the stress and anxiety that comes with success. It does not last forever. Santiago reaches the oasis, a place where he can be comfortable. He falls deeply in love with a beautiful girl named Fatima. Santiago is now content with his life. He has been able to travel, has a steady income, and found the love of his life. We eventually end up at a crossroads and have to decide whether we want to settle, achieve something that is easier to obtain, or move forward and try our best to reach our