Alchemist Essay

Have you ever encountered problems while trying to fulfill a goal in your life? In the book The Alchemist, written by Paulo Coelho, a shepherd boy named Santiago overcomes obstacles to reach his personal legend. Throughout the book Santiago encounters many friends to help him fulfill his destiny. Santiago encounters many problems throughout the story. He overcomes them with the help of his friends and his wife-to-be. These problems shape Santiago into a dignified man of many traits.

14) Earlier in the story, the alchemist told Santiago "when you possess great treasures within you, and try to tell others of them, seldom are you believed." At the end of the story, how does this simple lesson change Santiago’s life? How does it lead him back to the treasure he was looking for?

Often in life, difficult obstacles pop up all the time that seem to distract people from following their own personal legends. If one is able to overcome these obstacles and take valuable lessons out of the experience, they will become an even better person than before. In the novel The Alchemist, written by Paulo Coelho, Santiago is able to overcome harsh obstacles and learn valuable lessons from his experience. He goes on a life-altering journey to Egypt in order to achieve his personal legend, leaving behind his life of shepherding to broaden his horizons and find treasure. Santiago is faced with many challenges along the way that leave him ready to abandon his quest, but he is ultimately able to continue moving forward and finally achieve

The merchant spoke about his dreams and the fear he had of realizing them and then being let down (Coelho 53-54). Santiago recognizes the merchant's perception of dreams and believes them to be only at, dreams. The merchant confesses that his dream is the only thing that allows him to continue living a mundane life and if it was ever realized, he would lose that hope. Santiago, on the other hand, believes that his personal legend is his life and that so long as he achieved that, mundane life would finally turn into something more. During Santiago's travel to Egypt, he meets an Englishman on the caravan who teaches him about Alchemy. The Englishman requests that Santiago reads a book on Alchemy and when he inquires about what he learned from it, Santiago responds, "'I learned that the World has a soul, and that whoever understands that soul can also understand the language of things" to which the Englishman, "...was disappointed. The years of research, the magic symbols, the strange words and the laboratory equipment... None of this had made an impression on the boy" (Coelho 83). Santiago understood Alchemy as achieving your personal legend and then, as a product of

Santiago is a shepherd boy who finds enough courage in himself to follow his heart and his long awaiting dream. Santiago is conflicted between either to follow is heart or his mind. He acknowledges that if he follows his mind and becomes a shepherd boy for the rest of this life the agonizing pain of “What if...” would haunt him for the rest of his existence. However if he follows his heart then the question of “What if….’ would be answered and he would realize the fate of his future. The Alchemist "The fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself... no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams. 134 Santiago is torn between taking risks or staying safe, he is frightened that if he takes a risk than he will suffer.

Santiago recalls when he first discussed with his father his “desires to travel” preferring it to the path of priesthood that his parents desired for him (Coelho 9). It is at this time that Coelho reveals that Santiago's father had also desired to travel but was too frightened by the idea to realize his ambitions. Santiago's father becomes a symbol of what occurs when dreams do not become realized due to the paralyzing effect of fear; he essentially becomes the antithesis to the character of the alchemist mentioned later in the

He left the area with knowledge gained from the Englishman, this set him well on his trip to the oasis to explore alchemy. Santiago learned a lot from the Englishman during the journey. He learned that the secret of alchemy is written on a stone called the Emerald Tablet. The Englishman also went on to explain to Santiago, the ultimate creation of alchemy is the Master Work, and that a 200 year old alchemist resided there at the oasis. This must have riddled Santiago with excitement.

Santiago, a shepherd from an Andalusian town, is the venturesome protagonist of The Alchemist. Despite his thirst for adventure, Santiago remained satisfied with his lifestyle until he experienced numerous dreams about uncovering treasure near the Pyramids of Egypt. At first, Santiago is hesitant about pursuing his dream, and goes to a gypsy to interpret it. His confidence still wavers, until receiving a second opinion from Melchizedek, a mysterious old man who claims to be the king of Salem. After Melchizedek informs Santiago about how everybody is born with certain destinies, Santiago becomes interested in fulfilling his Personal Legend and

The Alchemist In Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist; Santiago’s intelligence, determination, and love all help him on his journey. These characteristics were developed by people that came into his life at the right time. Intelligence helped him to understand the soul of the world. His unbreakable will motivated him to whatever he had to do in order to achieve his personal legend. Fatima, the girl he loved, gave him the necessary love and support that he needed in order to continue on his journey.

In the beginning of the novel the king says, “Because you are trying to realize your Personal Legend.” “And you are at the point where you’re about to give it all up.” “And that’s when you appear on the scene?” “Not always in this way, but I always appear in one form or another.” (Coelho pg. 23) This quote shows that the king of Salem helps Santiago with his Personal Legend. He is the first of many to help Santiago towards his dream. In the caravan Santiago hears the Englishman talking, “But the caravan began to move, and it was impossible to hear what the Englishman was saying.” “The boy knew what he was about to describe though: the mysterious chain that links one thing to another, the same chain that had caused him to become a shepherd, that had caused his recurring dream, that had brought him to a city near Africa, to find a king, and to be robbed in order to meet a crystal merchant, and …” (Coelho pg. 72) The quote supports the theme of universal support towards ones dream, because it shows that everything that had happened in Santiago’s life was meant to get him closer to achieving his dream. His whole life was a chain connecting each event after another, until eventually he reaches his personal legend. “He thanked God for making him believe in his Personal Legend, and for leading him to meet a king, a merchant, an Englishman, and an

He needed to find the alchemist so he found a camel driver who would take him to the oasis where the alchemist was. While traveling down there he met an english man who was also in search of the alchemist. They reached the oasis and searched for the alchemist for many days until he finally found him. Santiago left with the english man in search of the treasure that he saw in his dreams. Santiago and the alchemist finally found his treasure and Santiago realised that he had been there before. Santiago had finally achieved his personal

Change This Title After You Are Finished Personal Legend, a true desire that comes from the Soul of the Universe. It is different from selfish desires and always conspires to help you realize your Personal Legend. In the Alchemist every single adventure, quest, and obstacle Santiago had to overcome was all a part of him realizing his Personal Legend. After meeting Santiago, Melchizedek, the old king, had told Santiago, “In the long run what people think about shepherds and bakers becomes more important for them than their own personal legends.” I believe this quote had helped Santiago realize that instead of concerning yourself of others (hence the shepherds and bakers) he should worry about himself and where he is going in life.

In The Alchemist written by Paulo Coelho it starts by introducing each character, specially it goes into depth describing Santiago. He is a very interesting boy who has chosen to become a sheep herd while he could of become something else in his life. Santiago is a person that likes to try new things and learn new such as traveling and exploring the the world around him. Santiago is afraid of failure because he believes that he can't do anything big, anything that can change his life because he is a sheep herd. While he works with the merchant from the crystal store he is learning that little by little he is accomplishing new things he never

A dream was bothering Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd. He has the dream every time he slept under a sycamore tree that grows out of an abandoned church. In the dream, a small boy tells him to look for treasure at the bottom of the pyramids in Egypt. Santiago talked to a gypsy to interpret the dream, and told him to go to Egypt. An old man called Melchizedek claimed to be King of Salem, and repeated what the gypsy said; that it is his ‘Personal Legend’ to go to the pyramids. Melchizedek convinces Santiago to sell his sheep and go to Tangier. When Santiago arrived, he’s robbed, forcing him to work for a man that sells crystals. The merchant taught Santiago lessons, and Santiago encouraged him to take risks with his business. Santiago finally became wealthy.

Santiago meets the real alchemist in the oasis, and Santiago decides to follow him. On their way to the pyramids, the alchemist teaches Santiago more things about alchemy. He tells Santiago that the most important thing for him to do is follow his heart. His heart knows the language of the world and his heart knows everything.