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Santiago's Journey In The Alchemist

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TERM PAPER In Paulo Coelho’s novel, The Alchemist , Santiago’s journey portrays different aspects of life which can be incorporated to improve and enhance the quality of human existence. What does it mean to live a good life? What does it mean to be successful? What are the things which give us pleasure? How to handle difficult situations in life? How to cope with the fear of failure? With billions of people living on this planet ,the definition of good life may vary from person to person. One’s quality of life not only depends on individual perception but is also dependant on inborn capabilities , relationship with others and external situations. While some seek …show more content…

As time passes by, we suspect the possibilities of achieving our goal and allow others make choices for us. Everyone seems to have a clear idea of how others should lead their lives, but none about his or her own [1]. Santiago faces a similar situation where his parents want him to become a priest but he wants to travel around the world in search of a treasure. It takes courage to take the road less travelled but the outcome of a self-made choice makes the journey more satisfying leading to a good life. And many a times during this journey we may face unfortunate events making it difficult to move ahead in life. Difficulties may just seem to be uncontrollable , one problem after …show more content…

“The secret of happiness is to see all the marvels of the world, and never to forget the drops of oil on the spoon”[3] Is it possible to stay focused on our goal yet enjoy the simple pleasures of life ? We often become so engaged to achieve our target that we do not realize that we are missing a lot of things behind. When Santiago is asked by a wise man to walk around the castle and warned not to spill oil from the spoon, he misses the opportunity of seeing the beauty of the majestic castle and other precious things around him. In reality, the precious things were his flock of sheep and the relationships he had left behind .Therefore, while being focused on our target one should not forget to appreciate every little thing that enriches our life. Living each and every moment , acknowledging relationships and being grateful for what you have, makes the entire journey of life worth it. Thus, we should focus more on balancing things in life. We only need to prioritize things and observe our surroundings without neglecting the opportunities given to us in

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