Essay On The Alchemist

Santiago is a young and adventurous shepherd. He has a prophetic dream every time he lays supine under a sycamore tree near the ruins of a church. With the help from the gypsy woman and Melchizedek, Santiago is able to interpret and fully understand the subliminal message from the recurring dream. The dream reflects his Personal Legend, which is to seek treasure at the Egyptian pyramids. Since Santiago is in need of money, and his flock is too cumbersome to bring along, Santiago must make a tough decision to sell his possessions, and sets off to Tangier. When Santiago arrives in Tangier,. Santiago is robbed by a young man, and loses all the money from selling his flock. His only remaining possessions are the two stones from Melchizedek. Santiago

Despite the financial success, Santiago does not become avaricious. He joins a caravan crossing the Sahara desert to continue pursuing his goal. During the trip, he meets an educated Englishman. The Englishman influentially introduces Santiago to the epistemology of alchemy. After reading the Englishman’s books, Santiago learns to whittle down the complex concept of alchemy. He is able to list some common principles in alchemy such as Soul of the World, Elixir of Life, Emerald Tablet and Master Work. The halcyon days are soon interrupted by increasingly violent tribal wars taking place in the desert. The caravan must stop at Al-Fayoum. Santiago quickly falls in love with Fatima, a beautiful girl with refulgent blue eyes living in the oasis. Santiago has a vision of armies riding through the peaceful oasis. He courageously warns the local chieftains that the approaching armies will extirpate their tribes. Some chieftains are froward, and threaten to kill Santiago if his vision is wrong. Despite being doubtful, the chieftains dispatch the message to all the inhabitants. As a result, the oasis successfully prepares and defends itself against the