Santiago’s journey in the alchemist is represented both literally and metaphorically. As he travels through the African desert, he learns lessons from the influences around him. They include people as well as forces of nature. He gains wisdom in alchemy and philosophy. By the end of the story, when Santiago has discovered his Personal Legend, he has transformed his thoughts and way of life. Arguably, the old man he encounters in the market plaza is his most influential teacher. The old man, also being a king, spurs on his entire journey with his discussion of Personal Legends. When Santiago asks why the old man is giving his wisdom to him, the old man tells him that "you are trying to realize your destiny. And you are at the point where you're …show more content…
On recalling his experiences with the old man describing omens, he reflects on how he knew omens himself before. “He had discovered that the presence of a certain bird meant that a snake was nearby, and that a certain shrub was a sign that there was water in the area. The sheep had taught him that” (Coehlo 20). The sheep and their habits were comparable to the omens that were described. As his longest companions, they are much he has to compare the events of his journey with. “There must be a language that doesn't depend on words, the boy thought. I've already had that experience with my sheep, and now it's happening with people” (Coelho 24). Here, he found similarities in what he has learned from sheep with what he has found out on his …show more content…
They trade their knowledge with each other. Combining this new information with old, Santiago thinks back to the merchant. “He had said that it was a good thing for the boy to clean the crystal pieces, so that he could free himself from negative thoughts. The boy was becoming more and more convinced that alchemy could be learned in one's daily life” (Coelho 44). Santiago learns that all he does can teach him about alchemy, even more so than the Englishman’s books. While stopping at the oasis, he falls in love with a woman named Fatima. He wishes to leave to pursue his Personal Legend, but at the same time he does not want to leave her. Fatima supports him continuing his trek to the pyramids. Later in the story, Santiago thanks God for “above all having met a woman of the desert who had told him that love would never keep a man from his Personal Legend” (Coelho 91). He learns from her that he should never hold back from his dreams, and he decides that he should not stay in the
The crystal merchant had few customers, but once the crystal was cleaned, a larger crowd was attracted to his storefront. Santiago would receive a much needed meal, as well as a job offer. Freshly cleaned crystal attracted many customers, which caused the crystal merchant to offer Santiago a full-time position, with pay. Like an alchemist, Santiago went from being in poverty, to being successful. Santiago also turned a negative into a positive for the crystal merchant. The crystal merchant’s shop did not appear inviting to potential customers, but Santiago rectified it, which in turn, caused the shop to receive more customers and generate a greater profit. Santiago is a metaphorical alchemist. He turns the worst into the best, just as an alchemist turns base metals into gold.
Throughout the book “The Alchemist”, Santiago faces many trials on his journey to Egypt to find the treasure. He is able to follow all the steps of the Hero’s Journey, starting with the call to adventure and finishing with the status quo. Santiago may have started his journey in Spain and made his way to Egypt but key points through this book include the status quo, threshold, and the abyss.
In The Alchemist, Santiago goes on a journey to find his personal legend and learns to understand women and the world. Santiago is a shepherd who transforms into a wise individual. He encounters many symbols and faces them to reach his personal legend. Three ways he changes are by meeting the Englishman, the crystal shop owner, and the Urium and Thummin.
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.
The king of Salem and the alchemist both helped Santiago to create his personal legend and gave him a bit of motivation for him to not give up on his
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.
“I could offer you a bed, and I should consider it an honour.” (189)- This quote is morality because he has good morals for offering him somewhere to stay and he is his guest.
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 book The Alchemist was about a young man named Santiago who followed his dream to discover a hidden treasure. As Santiago progressed throughout his journey, his character changed a lot. Santiago, a man who has great instincts, is afraid to trust his dream at the beginning of the book but over time becomes more and more confident with his choices in in this aspect he changes from the beginning of the book to the end.
Soon after, Santiago is forced to work for a crystal merchant in the hopes of replacing his lost money and continuing on his quest. He works for the merchant for eleven months and during this time, continues to think less and less of his Personal Legend. He becomes skilled in this practice and begins to work towards instead, replacing his flock of sheep and returning to his past lifestyle. During this time, Santiago perceived reaching the pyramids as an impossible feat claiming “Egypt was now just a distant dream for him” and that, like a mirage, it would always be just out of his reach (56). In this way, Coelho shows that Santiago’s morale is lessening. The more that he stays at the crystal shop, the more he sees his treasure as a mirage instead of a physical object.
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.
World War 1 was known as the Great War, it was a global war that was taking place in Europe, which began on July 28, 1914 and ended on November 11, 1918. The war started from many various factors that were taking place before hand. Some of those things were nationalism, imperialism, the alliance system and the assassination of the ambassador. The United States of America also had many different factors that contributed to it joining the war, and although they have many reasons why they joined the war, some say that the zimmerman note was the main cause for the U.S to join the war. When the war started and the U.S joined the war, back home we had many economic, political and social changes. World War 1 was started from different factors but
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?
The Theme of “The Alchemist,” by Paulo Coelho is, always follow your dreams and listen to your heart. At the start of the novel Santiago does not know what he should do when he is confronted by his dream. But by the end of the novel Santiago completely trusts his heart to guide him though life. Santiago’s story shows him learning and living out the theme of the novel.
Question 1: Describe the opportunity that attracts you and why you think it is a new venture opportunity.