Paulo Coelho puts a vivid image in the reader's mine by incorporating actual places, writing a breathing taking storyline, and a simple writing skill that will inspire readers to dream big and shoot for the stars. The setting in this story is so well described that the reader can picture themselves in the fields of Andalusia, see themselves walking through the villages, and almost feel the overbearing heat of the Sahara sun, sand, and wind. The author allows the reader to travel as if there were there with Santiago through the inspirational story, The Alchemist. Paulo Coelho shows symbolization through the sycamore tree. He puts Santiago there at the beginning, so he can initially bring him running back there in the end. The author leads Santiago to crucial people throughout the story such as a gypsy, a king, a merchant, an Englishman, a beautiful girl, and an alchemist. All these characters point Santiago in the “right” direction …show more content…
Santiago is taught many things there. The author inspires all the readers by adding what a Personal Legend is. The king teaches Santiago that your Personal Legend “...whets your appetite with a taste of success.”(Paulo Coelho 29) Santiago learns from the king what omens are and that the world's greatest lie is, “...at a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what's happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate. That's the world's greatest lie.” (Paul Coelho 18)Paulo Coelho sculpts another character known as the crystal merchant. Coelho made Santiago work at his shop. While working there for almost a year, Santiago gained enough knowledge and money from the merchant. Paulo shows that the merchant almost convinces Santiago not to travel to the pyramids because somethings are just better left as a dream. At this point in The Alchemist, the merchant basically teaches Santiago to make his own decisions and travel to the pyramids to complete his
Santiago understands that everything from a grain of sand to God himself shares the same physical and spiritual essence. In coming to this understanding, Santiago also believes he can “conquer the world.” (Coelho,157). He realizes the importance of hope on his journey and that he can and will persevere to the end.
Then, he continues to travel to the pyramids and gets directed through the desert where he finds the alchemist and turns himself into the wind. Santiago then returns back to his hometown
“Here I am between my flock and my treasure, the boy thought. He had to choose between something he had become accustomed to and something he wanted to have.” (30) Santiago must realize that it is he that is holding him back and to take the risk. Once Santiago found out about the term personal legend he will take the risk. “There was nothing to hold him back except himself.
By continuing he finds his true inner strength. In the story, the author shows the importance of perseverance, and how to face the many obstacles that people are presented in their lives to complete their goal. In Coelho's novel, Santiago faces many difficult challenges, but because of his courage and perseverance, he is able to face them head on. While in the town of Tarifa, Santiago meets
The book begins with Santiago’s craving for love with a merchant’s daughter to whom he has only spoken with a few words. This “love” is what takes Santiago off track from his pursuit of his Personal Legend as Santiago refers to this love as his main goal in living. However, when Santiago meets Fatima, his true love, it presents a more difficult challenge as it convinces him to abandon his Personal Legend. However, his love with Fatima is acceptable since Fatima encourages him to pursue his Personal Legend. Fatima says, “If I am really a part of your dream, you'll come back one day” (97).
Santiago's temptation is when he has the choice whether or not to stay with Fatima and abandon his Personal Legend. After leaving Fatima he has a difficult time coping with the separation, even if Fatima is a woman of the desert, who knows he will return. The Alchemist offers him a sole piece of advice, “love never keeps a man from pursuing his Personal Legend.” (120) Santiago’s heart is aching for the loving arms of Fatima. He realizes that he needs to focus on what he needs, pursuing his Personal Legend and not what he desires to be with Fatima.
The Crystal Merchant tells the boy that more customers came into the shop since he started working there. The merchant tells him that this is a good omen and Santiago finally starts to that omens factor into his personal legend. Santiago thinks to himself, “People talk a lot about omens, thought the shepherd. But they really don’t know what they’re saying. Just as I hadn’t realized that for so many years I had been speaking a language without words to my sheep” (46).
… The boy was shaking with fear, but the alchemist helped him out of the tent. … the alchemist continued, “usually the threat of death makes people a lot more aware of their lives.”” (Coelho 140 6 8, Coelho 142 2) Just like before Santiago is afraid and doesn't know what to do in a situation of adversity. But he does not give up he perseveres and developes
In the book the Alchemist (by Paulo Coelho) Santiago learns many things along the way to achieving his personal legend. He gained skills and experience in things across the board, from how to clean crystals, to the 5 obligations of Muslims, to the basics of alchemy. Santiago learns from the wise, and educated, but also learns the meaning of a true friendship. Overall it is true that reaching one 's personal legend is life 's greatest treasure, but often the journey is just as valuable.
Santiago has an epiphany when he realizes that if you never change and take risks you will never move forward. He wants to find his “personal legend,” or true desire, and to obtain this he needs to change his own nature. He must be willing to give up whatever is necessary to achieve this goal, including freedom. On Santiago’s journey he becomes employed by a crystal merchant that never achieved his personal legend. The merchant resisted change and never accomplished his dreams.
A personal legend is not just the result found at the end of Santiago's life. It’s more than simply reaching final destination. Santiago personal legend is achieved when he completes what he is doing. “It’s true that everything has it’s personal legend ,but one day that personal legend will be realized ,so each thing has to transform itself into something better ,and to acquire a new personal legend, until someday, the soul of the world becomes one only thing.”
Before finding his treasure, he must be courageous and clever to survive the desert and the danger that he encounters. This courage enables him to reach the treasure and fulfill his Personal Legend. The determination Santiago exhibits is what allows him to earn his fortune and decide his
Santiago is shaped by his interaction with the Gypsy women, the King, the Englishman, and the Alchemist. All these individuals teach Santiago valuable life
Zanele Nxamagele Book review The Alchemist Paulo Coelho Summary Santiago, a shepherd from Andalusia, keeps having the same recurring dream about a child who tells him to go find the hidden treasure which is situated at the base of the Pyramids in Egypt. Santiago goes and enquires to an old woman, who is actually a Gypsy, about this dream, and she tells him to go to Egypt, but in return would like a tenth of his treasure. Santiago feels dubious about this information since he quite enjoys the life of being a shepherd.
The Alchemist takes his leave of Santiago, who continues on to the Pyramids. Once there, Santiago is attacked by robbers. Asked what he is doing there, Santiago replies that he had a dream of a treasure buried at the base of the Pyramids. One of the robbers laughs at him, and says that he has had the exact same dream, except that in his the treasure was buried in Spain. Santiago realizes that the treasure was back in Spain the entire time.