The Alchemist Essay “To realize one’s destiny is a person’s only obligation”. (from The Alchemist). The story of the alchemist is about an Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago who travels from his homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of a treasure buried in the Pyramids. Focusing on fulfilling our own Personal Legend, Coelho encourages his reader to follow their dreams and the importance of listening to our hearts. Everyone has their own Personal Legend, their ultimate goal in life, but many of us never pursue it. External obstacles may exist along the way that prevent one from pursuing their dreams. Santiago’s Personal Legend was to find the hidden treasure that occurred twice in his dream, that lead him on a journey to Egypt. Along the journey, Santiago encounters a gypsy women, a king and an alchemist all of whom point him in the direction of his quest, but no one knows what the treasure is. Santiago has to give up his original life, things …show more content…
His personal legend was to make a pilgrim to Mecca, but he fears pursuing his dream because he thinks that he will have nothing to live for once he has achieved his dream. One thing to get out from the crystal merchant was his conservative way of life. His doesn’t like changes and stays at the same spot throughout his life. There are many times in life in which I were afraid to step out and take the risk. I remember when I was seven, my mom signed me up for ballet and piano lessons. One day, my mom dropped me off at the academy where I take those classes. There was a student performing at the lobby of the academy. I remember she played the piano so well. I ended up cancelled that class because I know that I can’t exceed her.I can’t play the piano as well as her. I was afraid because I feared failure and discouraged by the fact that other students played the piano well but I
The treasure he had been looking for all this time was right before him. As Santiago finds all his treasure, he realizes that he needs to experience everything he has been through on his journey before he finds his treasure. Santiago understands that if he hadn't made that one choice to follow his dreams, he would have never discovered his treasure or experienced what he had been through. The Alchemist tells a story about Santiago's hero's journey, highlighting the life-changing benefits of fulfilling his dreams. Supernatural aid, the road of the trial, and the return to the ordinary world are the hero's journeys that happen in the story and involve complex tasks and being able to accomplish
To begin his long journey, Santiago meets a wise old king name King Melchizedek. He is in a local market when the king walks up and asks Santiago what he is reading. The king continues to say that the book he is reading is important but irritating because it describes the characters inability to choose their own Personal Legend. When Santiago asks where this mysterious stranger is from, King Melchizedek replies with “I am from many places, but I was born in Salem as I am the king there” (Coelho 64). Accepting his statement as true, Santiago continues the conversation allowing them to eventually talk about his dream of the Pyramids. The king wants to help Santiago, but for a price of six sheep. Before leaving with Santiago’s sheep he shares, “’The secret of happiness is to see all the marvels of the world, and never to forget the drops of oil on the spoon’” (Coelho 32). His message to Santiago reminds him that by following his dream he will witness beautiful sights and people, but that he should always remember the purpose of his travels. Leaving it at that, the king pointed Santiago in the direction to follow his dream.
It wasn’t until that summer I walked across a bright yellow home. Through the windows, I could see an Asian woman was playing a beautiful song on her black grand piano. The sound of her music was like a stream of water running quietly through the green forest. From that moment, I became inspired to learn how to play the piano. I decided to take piano lessons with her and made it a goal to learn how to play the piano. My piano teacher, Ms. Li, was my role model because she showed me that there are unique and fascinating things people can learn to do in this world. As days turned to months and months turned into years, I continued to strive to become my inspiration. Many times, I felt like the Indians on the reservation and just wanted to give up because I felt it was too hard to make it to the top. Eight years later, I’ve completed my piano training. Today, people would always compliment my style of playing when I would play the piano. Sometimes I would come across a very young boy or girl who wanted to learn how to play the piano after they heard me play. I told them, “If you put your mind to it, you can do anything.” My piano teacher has been and will always be my inspiration and role model. Today, I have become a role model and inspiration for many people who want to learn how to play the piano. Role models and heroes are important in shaping people’s personalities and qualities because they provide people with goals to strive for.
Do you know your personal destiny? This is the question which Santiago the protagonist of The Alchemist tries to answer on a search for a treasure. The question which will be attempted to answer is, What literary element does Paulo Coelho us to develop the theme that in life everyone has a personal destiny which they all have to pursue when they get the chance, in the novel The Alchemist. Paulo Coelho conveys the central theme of pursuing your own destiny through the use of allusions, in how they affect the protagonist Santiago with his encounters in the desert on the search for his treasure.
INP Essay: In the novel The Alchemist, written by Paulo Coelho, the author reveals the character through his journey to find his destiny in the deserts of Egypt. Santiago, the main character, is a shepherd herder that leaves what he knows to achieve his dreams and find his purpose. Santiago then finds that his journey to find himself is dangerous and longer than he expected. Santiago, a very curious man, continues to ask about his heart in the beginning of this passage.
One may overcome his/her journey with the guidance of others. Throughout Santiago's never ending journey, he meets a crystal merchant who gives him a new and different view on his personal desire. Santiago tells him about the dreams he keeps having, and the old king dealt with Santiago by helping him try to figure out what is it. The king said he would tell him what his treasure is for the price of six sheep. Stating, “The secret of happiness is to see all the marvels of the world, and never to forget the drops of oil on the spoon,” proves that getting to Santiago’s dream will give him new lessons and opportunities to learn (Coelho 35). The old king implies that without spilling the oil from the spoon, one will be on the right path to their Personal Legend. The old king has now given Santiago his first
“People are capable at anytime in their lives, of doing what they dream of.” In the novel The Alchemist, Santiago goes on a journey to find and fulfill his “Personal Legend”. Santiago displays admirable traits throughout the book. Throughout the novel, Santiago faces obstacles that he could have never imagined happening to him but he pushes through them with determination and persistence. This most beneficial trait allows him to find the best way to handle situations and overcome his problems.
The book, The Alchemist, written by Paulo Coelho, conveys many messages relating to life and society. The book outlines the story of a boy named Santiago who goes on a journey to the pyramids of Egypt, to find treasure. Along his way he learns about the concept of predetermined destiny, and the soul of the universe. One major moral shown within the book, is the idea that you should always pursue your dreams, despite minor obstacles, as you never know where it may take you.
So many heroes are driven by destiny. Wonder Woman, Superman, Green Lantern, they were all chosen and born to heroism. Even with Batman, it doesn’t feel like Bruce could do anything else. His whole life was leading him to become the Dark Knight.”- Andrew Kreisberg. In the novel The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho, it talks about a boy named Santiago who goes on a journey to realize his Personal Legend. Santiago has proven, throughout the novel, that he is a hero. Essentially, themes that are portrayed through heroism are a sense of determinization & realization, the hardships, and the fears he faces in life.
The alchemist is a well written book that accurately describes every concept about life and explains it through a story. The Alchemist is a book about a shepherd named Santiago, who discovers his personal legend and receives help from others to help achieve his Personal Legend and learns many major life lessons along the way. Santiago gets advice that when life puts him down, keep getting back up and to focus on the task at hand, which is Santiago’s own personal legend. Along the the journey, Santiago receives help from many different characters but only three characters who helped him the most throughout his quest for his Personal legend is the alchemist, the Old King and the Englishman. The best advice a reader is able to gain from this story is the advice the the Old King taught Santiago, which is” there is only one thing that makes achieving a dream impossible to achieve, the fear of failure” which means is to never be afraid of failures and to follow your own path God has laid out for you because if you are too afraid to pursue your personal legend, meaning if people are too afraid to take risks to make their own life better than it already is now, then they will not have the opportunity to accomplish their own goals. In Coelho's The Alchemist, Santiago learns the Soul of the World through experience, patience, time and help from the Old King, the Englishman and the alchemist.
The Alchemist is a journey of exploration and self-discovery as we follow the main character, Santiago, a young shepherd who lives in Spain, on a journey to fulfill his personal legend. The novel shows us wisdoms and gentle reminders of how to change our lives from what they may be today into the life we have always dreamed of.
I sat and listened to the beautiful yet invigorating song being played on the piano. I reminisced about the future, when I would be able to play such a complex piece of music. Six years later I sat awaiting my turn to perform this piece of music I had so long dreamed about. I felt butterflies dancing in my stomach, but at the same time I felt a sense of peace and contentment. I played this song flawlessly and from that moment on, I knew that I wanted to use my knowledge and talent of playing the piano to change the world for the better. I desired to impact young, aspiring piano students just as the song that impacted my life so long ago. I long to do so by studying music in college and continue to teach piano.
Santiago finds his treasure at the place where he first dreamt of. The ending, then, can be interpreted as Santiago needs to go in a difficult situation and time to gain the knowledge or wisdom.
The alchemist is a unique piece of literature that stays true to it’s message it attempts to teach you. It begins when a young shepherd, Santiago, has a dream about a treasure he is to find at the Egyptian pyramids not once but twice. With curiosity he goes about and finds a gypsy to ask for what the dreams can possibly mean to him. The gypsy says she cannot decipher what his dream could mean ,but she advises him to go to Egypt himself to learn if there is anything out for him. For that message she asks for one tenth of the treasure. Setting off to seek what there is to find the quest itself creates conflict within himself simply to find out what his personal legend is. He risks everything he has to go and find a treasure that may or may
As the ivory keys moved up and down I listened to the sweet sound of my grandma's piano playing. I knew that I wanted to be a piano player and that If I were to do that, then my grandma would have to teach me so that one day I could play just like her. I started playing piano when I was seven and I have been playing ever since. My grandma has taught me for five years and will continue to teach me. Piano is very big and important in my family. My cousins play and my grandma also teaches them and we all have to practice for her and other activities. Piano playing has shaped me into the person I am today because having a good attitude,practice, and hard work has helped me by teaching lessons that will help me know what I want to be when I grow up.