ipl-logo

The Reoccurring Theme Of Santiago's Personal Legend In The Alchemist

551 Words3 Pages

The theme of personal legend is a reoccurring theme that is very important to The Alchemist. Santiago’s personal legend is to find his treasure at the Pyramids in Egypt. The crystal merchant dreams of going to Mecca. The Englishman’s dreams of being an Alchemist. Santiago, the crystal merchant, and the Englishman all show the theme of personal legend. Santiago shows the theme of personal legend when he has a reoccurring dream of treasure in Egypt near the pyramids. Santiago dreamt of traveling for his whole life, which is why he became a shepherd in the first place. While in Spain, Santiago meets Melchizedek, the king of Salem, and as they talk with one another the old king says to Santiago “You are trying to realize your Personal Legend. And you are at the point where you’re about to give it all up” (Coelho 25). The quote shows the theme of Personal Legend well because Santiago was so close to just giving up his Personal Legend many times, but he followed the omens and continued on his journey. If he would not have realized his personal legend and been courageous, Santiago would have never traveled or found his treasure. Santiago’s personal legend is a very important one in the book, but …show more content…

The crystal merchant tells Santiago that the fifth obligation of a Muslim is to visit the city of Mecca. The crystal merchant says “it’s the thought of Mecca that keeps me alive” and “I’m afraid that if my dream is realized, I’ll have no reason to go on living” (Coelho 57). The Crystal merchant knows it’s his personal legend to visit Mecca, and he has dreamed about it many times. He is afraid of being disappointed when he finally get’s there, so he thinks it’s just better to dream about it. He never decides to go to Mecca even though he had the money, so he never realizes his Personal Legend. Another character that shows the theme of Personal Legend is the

Show More
Related

  • Compare Santiago's Relationship With The Great Marlin

    66 Words  | 1 Pages

    To sum up, all of Santiago’s relationships with feminine sea, the great marlin and the other animals in the sea show that obstacles give Santiago strength and a meaningful life. His fight with the great marlin represents the strength of a man. These evidences prove that Santiago 's struggles with the sea help him become stronger and braver, and there is always a way to solve problem.

    Read More

  • Symbolism In The Alchemist

    988 Words  | 4 Pages

    First of all, the Coelho emphasized on the importance of dreams and striving for attaining our personal legends; as the main purpose around Santiago’s actions was chasing his dream. Moreover, the most important message in the novel was to follow our personal legends. In addition, the writer highlighted the theme of fate, as he stressed on the fact that everything is determined; as the motto of the crystal merchant was “Maktub”. At the same time, Coelho elucidated that we can’t accomplish anything unless we take action and pursue our dreams while accepting our

    Read More

  • Perseverance In The Alchemist

    532 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Importance of Perseverance At many times in people’s lives, they consider giving up. This is also true for Santiago, the protagonist in Paulo Coelho's fantasy novel The Alchemist. Santiago is on a journey to find a hidden treasure he saw in a dream. Along this journey he continues to contemplate whether he should just give up, or continue his adventure.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Conformity In The Alchemist

    741 Words  | 3 Pages

    When realizing a dream, one often comes face to face with the fear of failure. This fear pressures the individual into conforming in a variety of ways. One may perceive conformity as an asset that helps an individual to pursue his dream; however, conformity is, in actual, a setback that “convinces [individuals] that it will be impossible for them to realize their Personal Legend” (21). One character that displays this fear in The Alchemist is the crystal merchant. Unlike most individuals, the crystal merchant does not fear that he, himself, will fail to pursue his dream, rather, he fears that his dream of “go[ing] to Mecca” (54) will fail him instead.

    Read More

  • What Did Santiago Learn From The Alchemist

    503 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Character Analysis: The Alchemist

    83 Words  | 1 Pages

    In the book The Alchemist, it is said that to lead a satisfying life you must first complete your personal legend. Before Santiago met Melchizedek (King of Salem) he did not know what a personal legend was. Melchizedek said it is what you have always wanted to accomplish (Coelho 23). Throughout the book, Santiago was pursuing his personal legend and overcoming many obstacles like losing all of his money, working as a crystal merchant, crossing the desert and turning himself into the

    Read More

  • Santiago's Personal Legend In The Alchemist

    540 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the story the alchemist it is discovered that there are many different things in life to look forward to. There is also something in the story that is a moral or your life´s destiny called your personal legend. Your personal legend is one of those things in life that some people look up to in the future. Santiago travels the world to pursue his personal legend. Santiago strived to find his personal legend with the help of people he met on the way to find treasure that he is destined to find , just to realize the treasure was where he had fallen asleep in the beginning of the book.

    Read More

  • How Does Santiago Change Throughout The Novel

    227 Words  | 1 Pages

    Santiago's perseverance and bravery are more illustrated when he tries to oppose the sharks. He was a fisher all his life and so he is aware of the sharks is going to end up fishing off the fish; however he keeps fighting the sharks. The battle between him and also the sharks are a lot of concerning principles then a mere fish. Santiago continues to be a good individual deep down and warriors fight with great bravery. One of the best and most evident items of symbolism within the story is Santiago’s bravery.

    Read More

  • The Alchemist Reflection

    993 Words  | 4 Pages

    Personal Essay: How The Alchemist Changed My Life Forever As most people in Los Angeles are today, I was sharing an apartment with another roommate at a rent of $1,800 a month and commuting along the busy and noisy 405 to work everyday - two hours each direction, surrounded by traffic and angry people honking out of frustration. As I headed out for work every day and came back home after a long day, I eventually became more and more miserable as time passed - I stopped spending any valuable time with friends and family as I became bitter and sour spending most days and nights at a job that demanded more and more of me, I spent less time doing the things I used to enjoy like hiking or reading as I was worn out

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Essay On The Alchemist

    624 Words  | 3 Pages

    Two of my friends growing up Andrew and Jonathan were both great baseball players, and had a great future ahead of them. The both were headed to collage on full ride scholarship’s to peruse their careers and hopefully make it to the major leagues until Jonathan’s fears changed everything. Which is very similar to Santiago and the crystal merchant journey in Paulo Coelho’s novel

    Read More

  • The Alchemist Reality

    629 Words  | 3 Pages

    Some people’s ignorance of dreams can be harmful for themselves just like knife is for butter. Santiago’s dream of a treasure in Egypt, for instance, reveals to him his Personal Legend and sets the entire plot of the Alchemist into motion. For Santiago finding treasure wasn’t easy. He had to sacrifice his shepherdess (as he sold his sheep) and work for year at Crystal Merchant’s shop to gain money to travel because he was robbed. Crystal Merchant did not believe in his dream of going to Mecca.

    Read More

  • The Alchemist Character Analysis

    1057 Words  | 5 Pages

    In the book, The Alchemist, there are many major themes but the one that I took from it and could relate to was “fear is a bigger obstacle than the obstacle itself.” Throughout the story, Santiago goes through many challenges that he is afraid of that when he finally does them he discovers that they were much easier than anticipated. Santiago feared the thought of failure, leaving his home to find his treasure, leaving the crystal shop to fulfill his destiny, and to tell the chief he can turn into the wind. I, like Santiago, have had times in my life where I feared doing things and the greater obstacle was my fear and overthinking than the activity itself. The instances I chose from my own life to relate to Santiago were; when I do a new flip on snow, the first time I flew on a plane by myself, the first time I went surfing, and self-advocating by talking to

    Read More

  • Essay On The Alchemist

    580 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Characters In The Alchemist

    866 Words  | 4 Pages

    A dream troubles Santiago, a young and adventurous Andalusian shepherd. He has the dream every time he sleeps under a sycamore tree that grows out of the ruins of a church. During the dream, a child tells him to seek treasure at the foot of the Egyptian pyramids. Santiago consults a gypsy woman to interpret the dream, and to his surprise she tells him to go to Egypt.

    Read More

  • Santiago's Tragic Hero

    1196 Words  | 5 Pages

    The character Santiago from the novel The Old Man and the Sea, written By Earnest Hemmingway, encounters many ordeals, overcomes great tasks, and survives terrible tragedies, while still having a will that is not defeated but rather presses on. Santiago may be an elderly skilled fisherman, brittle and battered physically by the elements of nature, the people around him, and his life profession, but his spirit remains undefeated, a true testament to the theme of this novel being “A man can be destroyed but not defeated ” (103). He forges through life’s struggles and fights the great fight. He is an optimist at its purest as his personality embodies characteristic traits of bravery, determination, faith and endurance while faced with life’s

    Read More

More about The Reoccurring Theme Of Santiago's Personal Legend In The Alchemist

Open Document