Santiago's Journey In The Alchemist

234 Words1 Pages
In stories, the mentor is commonly the stereotypical wise old man who has never trimmed his beard and can talk in circles for days. However, a mentor can be anyone who provides guidance or advice. In Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist, the most important step in Santiago’s journey is meeting his mentor, Melchizedek. Without this stage, the boy would never know that his Personal Legend is attainable or have the knowledge he needs to complete his journey. The king of Salem, like all great mentors, comes “at the point where [Santiago is] about to give it all up” (Coelho 25). He encourages the boy to follow the dream he has about leaving for the pyramids in Egypt; to go find his treasure. Consequently, the only way Santiago is able to reach the pyramids