Personal Legend In Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist

Santiago is a young Andalusian shepherd, who wishes to explore the unknowns of the globe. At first it is just him and his sheep until he gets a recurring vision of a child leading him to treasure near the Egyptian pyramids. A Gypsy woman he meets in Tarfia, interprets his dream as a message to visit the pyramids. Santiago ventures out into the unknown meeting plenty of mentors who all guide and teach him the necessary knowledge to complete his Personal Legend. In Paulo Coelho’s novel The Alchemist, the significant characters of Melchizedek, The Crystal Merchant, and The Alchemist all play a crucial role in teaching, assisting and guiding Santiago on his path to fulfill his Personal Legend. After Santiago's conversation with the Gypsy Women,

This tells Santiago what Personal Legend is. It is what each individual has always wished to achieve, and according to Melchizedek, Santiago has already taken one of the most crucial steps by realizing his Personal Legend. He now understands the cause of his recurring dream and the reason he is so drawn to it. He is now driven and wants to accomplish his Personal Legend as Melchizedek calls it. From this point on, Santiago's journey has begun. Furthermore, he says “To realize one's Personal Legend is a person's only real obligation. All things are one. And when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you achieve it” (24). Melchizedek advises Santiago that following his Personal Legend should not be carried out by selfishness or one mindedness. Everything and everyone in the world is interconnected by the Soul of the Universe. It knows the intent of every given person when pursuing their destiny. If Santiago wishes to find his treasure, all of the universe will help him attain such. Afterwards, when Melchizedek finishes teaching the young shepherd about

The lessons he learns from the Alchemist are significant since he obtains the knowledge on how to achieve his Personal Legend and how to accept/embrace failure with open arms. “Wherever your heart is, that’s where you’ll find your treasure” (132). Santiago learns that everything in the universe has a mutual dependance with each other. If he follows his heart, his heart will lead him to his treasure. If he looks at the bigger picture, recognizes the omens and follows his undying love for Fatima, he will succeed in finding his treasure near the pyramids. Equally important he adds, “Before a dream is realized, the Soul of the World tests everything that was learned … in addition to realizing our dreams, master the lessons we’ve learned … That’s the point at which most people give up” (136-137). When Santiago gets closer and closer to his treasure the universe will test him to see if the information has been retained in his memory and if he understood everything. The last step of his journey will be the most difficult hurdle and stepping stone he will need to push through to get his treasure. Lastly, The Alchemist teaches Santiago that he should embrace failure and that if he