Symbolism In The Alchemist

"The closer one gets to realizing his Personal Legend, the more that Personal Legend becomes his true reason for being . . ."(75).The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho is an extraordinary story about an adventurous young Andalusian shepherd called Santiago who exhibits courage, strength and persistence to accomplish his Personal Legend. His determination to find the ultimate treasure and his curiosity to explore, leads him to various places in the world he has never been before. Paul Coelho uses various settings such as Santiago’s hometown, Tangier in northern Africa, the Sahara Desert and the Egyptian Pyramids to explore the theme of challenging oneself to achieve the ultimate goal and realizing one’s true capabilities will result in a successful

In Part One of the novel, the reader is introduced to Santiago in his hometown, which is located in the fields of Andalusia. It is here and in the surrounding areas that he looks after his sheep, traveling to nearby towns and villages. Although not too keen on becoming a priest and settling down as his parents desired, Santiago is tempted to do so in order to win the heart of the merchant’s daughter whom he instantly fell in love with in the story. However, Santiago, not completely satisfied with what he does everyday, is also aware of the need to make a change in his life and conjures up the courage to speak with his family, “One afternoon, on a visit to his family, he had summoned up the courage to tell his father that he didn’t want to become a priest. That he wanted to

This setting, although somewhat tedious, taught the Andalusian shepherd many of life’s lessons. For example, Santiago, although hindered by danger many times in the desert still held onto the belief that he had come such a long way in his travels and in life, “When I have been truly searching for my treasure, I’ve discovered things along the way that I never would have seen had I not had the courage to try things that seemed impossible for a shepherd to achieve” (135). ` p mThe alchemist whom he meets in the desert teaches him about the importance of language and provides words of encouragement to Santiago reminding him that the expansive desert would give him a greater understanding of the whole world. And this it does. The young boy discovers the power of love and his heart, the fear of failure, the need for wisdom, what it feels like to be fearful and most importantly, the courage to continue his journey to reach his treasure. On reaching his final destination, the Pyramids of Egypt, Santiago sets out to discover his much desired treasure, “He struggled to continue digging as he fought the wind, which often blew the sand back into the excavation. His hands were abraded and exhausted, but he listened to his heart” (166). Although exhausted from his travels and overcome with pride for reaching the pyramids, Santiago pushes himself to the threshold to achieve his ultimate goal. Each