Santiago In John Steinbeck's The Alchemist

The Alchemist is a very well written and intriguing book by Paulo Coelho. It is a story about a young shepherd known as Santiago who abandons his live in Spain and embarks on a journey to Egypt, during his journey for treasure hunt he faces many obstacles. Making several different stops he realizes truth about himself, the world, and the kingdom of god which are interrelated in the story. Paulo uses the characters of The King Salem, The Crystal merchant, the Alchemist and Fatima to explore the theme that true happiness can only be achieved if one works hard towards his goal or purpose in life and to realize one’s personal legend, one must work hard, make great sacrifices, and take risks. True happiness is only when one realizes his Personal legend.

Why are individuals expected to fail before they succeed? Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse demonstrates how Hesse made a universe out of words, and distinctive pictures with his engaging paragraphs that flowed like the river mentioned throughout the story. Siddhartha grows in his journey to find himself. Starting as a young Brahmin, he doesn 't know much, but through to the middle and to the end, Siddhartha becomes the man he has been longing to become since he left his home.

Borden makes additional sacrifices to fight off his greatest rival Rupert Angier for the protection of his title and fame. Throughout the novel, Borden’s sacrifices reveal his overwhelming desire to obtain the title and fame of the greatest magician. Near the start of his career, Alfred Borden concocts a new type of magic act never before seen on stage: The New Transported Man. In the act, Borden tosses his hat, walks into a cabinet or through a door, and instantaneously walks out of another cabinet or door downstage to catch his hat.

The Alchemist In the book “The Alchemist” there is a young boy named Santiago who worked as a lonely shepherd, but then one night he had a dream about some pyramids and a treasure far in the desert so he sets off the next day and is trying to discover and accomplish his Personal legend which he comes to find that it is a big treasure full of coins and jewels. To me one of his positive trait is that Santiago is an extremely faithful person “whoever you are, or whatever it is that you do, when you really want something, it's because that desire originated in the soul of the universe. It's your mission on earth.” Santiago is told this and is given the idea to leave.

In the book The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, Santiago discovers his personal legend in a recurring dream, where a little boy shows treasures in Egypt and pursues him to go to the pyramids and look for them. Even though Santiago knows that this will be a tough journey since the beginning of his trip, he insisted in following his dream by overcoming test after test in the journey. Using specific demonstration of the helpers throughout the trip, Coelho successfully exemplifies that following one’s Personal Legend can lead to discovering new aspects about oneself and life. To start Santiago’s journey, he meets a wise old king of Salem named Melchizedek as one of the enlighteners and helpers who strengthens Santiago’s belief on following his dream.

Throughout a lifetime, people endure the values of finding love and experience the hardships of the incluence of society. In the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, the main character Janie Starks undergoes the search for love by being in a relationship with many men throughout her life. In the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jay Gatsby a wealthy man is continously trying to get the attention of his long lost love, Daisy Buchanan. In both novels, the characters experience the journey of finding love and also experience the hardship of the influence of society. Even if it ends badly, love is worth it.

Stevenson created a little boy that had the mind and confidence of the entire ship, which was brought out by the many events throughout the time on Treasure Island, and even though it was to his “inexpressible joy, [that] the highest rock of Treasure Island had sunk into the blue round of sea” (Robert L.S, 300) the journey made him out to be a likeable and emotional protagonist. Although Jim along side the rest of the characters, do not necessarily fit with the injunctions of Pollack’s Boy Code, they still progress and take their own steps to become a man. No matter who the reader may be, they will hopefully see that the gender norms are a choice; and choosing to deviate against them may be the best one of

Voltaire picaresque novella, Candide, tells a story of a man in seeks of love and adventure. Along the way Candied runs into a philosopher named, Pangloss. Pangloss believes that “all is best in this world” (7) and things happen for a reason. Candide trust Pangloss theory and relates it into his own life and adventures he endures. He’s actions always justified Pangloss’s theory, especially when he was on the hunt for his true love, Cunegonde.

It was his skillfulness that got him married to cynthia and you can find this out by reading; “‘ Along came Louie. Here was someone exotic, someone who answered her yearning for adventure’” (348). Searching skills came into play when Louie was starting to prepare for his wedding; ‘“ He tracked down reception sites, invitations, a caterer, and a jeweler’” (350).

Gatsby falls in love with Daisy the first minute he meets her and never stops loving her even though she has obviously moved on. Gatsby does everything he can to be closer to her like buying “that house so that Daisy would be just across the bay” (78). Gatsby knows that if he can get the girl of his dreams he will not feel lonely anymore. " He talked a lot about the past… he wanted to recover something, some idea of himself perhaps, that had gone into loving Daisy. His life had been confused and disordered since then, but if he could once return to a certain starting place and go over it all slowly, he could find out what that thing was” (87).

Santiago is a foolish, foolish, man. One of which falls in love way too easily. He lets his heart direct him over his mind. At the beginning of the story he claims to be in love with a village girl that he had only spoken to once. Then there is Fatima, another girl that he is supposedly in love with at first sight.

“When I think of the swell time I could have without you, I go nuts. I never get no peace” (Steinbeck 12). George does not lie and tells Lennie how good of a life he could of have. This quote shows that he is always thinking about how much money or how much easier his life would be without Lennie always holding him back. Ever since Lennie was a boy George has been taking care of him, and he never stops getting into trouble.

In The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, a young boy named Santiago experiences many lessons from various “teachers” he encounters throughout his journey to find the treasure he dreams of. The old man who turns out to be the King of Salem is one of his first advisors. The king taught Santiago that “the secret to happiness is to see all of the marvels of the world …”, which is why he made the boy take a tricky test with oil in a spoon so he could realize the difference between unnecessary focus that would distract him from the ‘marvels of the world’, and releasing and receiving; giving him the opportunity to experience them. After Santiago shares his original insight, ”If someone isn 't what others want them to be, the others become angry. Everyone