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. He found love with a woman in the desert, a treasure chest buried under an old tree in an old abandoned church where he first was, and a lesson learned about how the world and the people surrounding him have affected him in his life. I think the main theme of this story is self-discovery and how it can affect one’s life in the real world. Self-identity can affect you and others. Certain symbols, and signs can lead or direct you toward …show more content…
I think this is a critical thing when finding self-discovery. An example from the text relating to this is “‘Why do we listen to our hearts’ the boy asked when they made camp that day. ‘Because, wherever your heart is, that is where you’ll find your treasure.’ “The alchemist is trying to tell Santiago that listening to his heart can lead him to what he is destined to find, his treasure. Sometimes we have doubts and feel like trying to pursue our personal legends isn’t worth it. Santiago then tells the alchemist: “My heart is a traitor. It doesn’t want me to go on.” The alchemist replied with a smart answer and said “That makes sense. Naturally, it’s afraid that, in pursuing your dream, you might lose everything you’ve won.” A fear of uncertainty is what Santiago is feeling and he worries he’ll lose everything he’s accomplished so far. Our hearts and inner thoughts help lead us to a goal or destination but, they also have some skepticism and worry if your goal isn’t possible to