The Alchemist

Throughout the book, Coelho addresses the attractive quality and the sense of security that wealth and acceptable social status bring. Nevertheless, he also illustrates that one must reject the lure of riches and reputation in order to attain one’s highest potential. At first, Santiago ignores his dream to travel to Egypt because of his strong desire to earn back the money that he has lost due to the robbery. As such, Santiago becomes employed at a crystal shop and works “incessantly, thinking only of putting aside enough money so that he could return to Spain with pride” (62). Instead of saving his money for a trip across the Sahara desert to pursue his dream, at this time, Santiago wishes to return to Spain to become a shepherd once again. Here, Santiago is tempted to permanently settle down and live among people. Furthermore, Santiago also encounters a group of tribesmen and becomes a prisoner along with the alchemist. When the alchemist gives up all of Santiago’s gold, Santiago gets upset and says “You gave them everything I had! Everything I’ve saved in my entire life!” (141). Santiago is frustrated because he has saved up enough to live a life luxurious back home. Although Santiago’s sacrifice of wealth is unwillingly done by another individual, it allows him to continue his path of becoming his Personal Legend as it spares his life. By sacrificing his earthly desire and obsession with fortune, Santiago’s

Enlightenment in “The Alchemist” and in Buddhism The Buddhist way of Enlightenment plays a hidden role in the book The Alchemist. The main character, Santiago, lives his life and has several ideas and outlooks on things that always link or connect back to Buddhism.. At times, it may seem that Santiago does not follow the Buddhist religion, but in reality Santiago does participate in a lot of Buddhist ways that will help him reach his path to enlightenment.

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.

Santiago also demonstrates exceptional resilience throughout the book. One example of this is when he sells his flock and travels to Egypt. Once arriving in Tangier he is immediately robbed by a thief, leaving him with no money. Rather than sulking and giving up, his resilient attitude guides him to looking for an opportunity to better his situation, which leads him to finding the crystal shop. Hear he puts all his effort into doing his work as best as he could, eventually leading to great financial success.

Paulo Coelho was born on 1947, Brazilian writer, best known for mystical fables told in simple yet symbolic language. He has received wide popular acclaim both in Brazil and internationally for his work about spiritual quests of self-discovery. Written in Portuguese, Coelho’s books have been translated into many languages.

He wanted to save enough money to return to Spain and buy back his flock. His dream of finding and fulfilling his “Personal Legend” long forgotten as some silly dream. But as he was packing up his things to go back to Spain, he finds Urim and Thummim, two stones the wise king gave Santiago to help him read the omens. And all the sudden, minute by minute, his dream of going home to buy a new flock and become a shepherd again is became less and less important. And then Santiago remembers that it isn't his dream. “I can always go back to being a shepherd, the boy thought. I learned how to care for sheep, and I haven't forgotten how to do so. But maybe I’ll never have another chance to get to the Pyramids in Egypt.” And with that, Santiago sets off to find his treasure. He doesn't go back to where he started, he didn't go home and relax in the “normal” like others, he chose to adventure and discover his “Personal Legend”, and his treasure. He was determined to prove to everyone, and himself, that it really was

At the age of 16 Santiago living in a small village has a dream of traveling the world to visit the pyramids. He then mentions it to his father, he was not too happy about Santiago decision to be. His father Said, "Amongst us, the only ones who travel are the shepherds."That is when Santiago he decided to become a shepherd boy. But his father had plans for Santiago, as a priest. The next day his father gave him a pouch with three ancient Spanish gold coins which he found out in the field. He then

He traveled for a very long time in pursuit of the treasure, but the treasure wasn’t the best reward of the journey. Santiago met a lot of people that taught him a lot of things. The king of Salem gave him two stones that will help Santiago make decisions if he can’t by himself. The crystal merchant helped Santiago by giving him a job and Santiago helped the crystal merchant by growing his business and made him make a lot of money. The Englishman helped teach Santiago about the Soul of the World but he didn’t know how to find it. The Alchemist taught Santiago a lot and made Santiago figure some things out on his own because he know he was smart enough, and that helped Santiago as a person so he could believe in himself more. Then Santiago learned that the treasure that he dreamed about wasn’t at the pyramids it was under a tree at the church where he started his journey, but because he went on the journey he learned a lot of things that I think helped change him as a

The crystal merchant plays a key part in Santiago’s journey and in the overall moral of The Alchemist. The crystal merchant acts as a symbol and a major turning point in the story. He also teaches Santiago significant lessons about following his Personal Legend.

Santiago helpied the man grow his buissiness and at the same time he helped him selve.The boy leared alot in his time there he learied that not all people realize their dreams in the same way.The boy felt like giving up and returning to his old life style ,but he continued to push foeried .Since santiago had egought money to countine he decided to cross the desert with a caravan where he met an englishman.He learnied that the englishman wantied to become a Alchemist ,but he was mostly looking for the philosopher stone . santiago was on his was to AL-Fayoum ,one step closer to his goal.when he arrived to this destination santiago met the Alcamist who was teaching him truley understand the unviersal language of the world,inadiition he also taught his the soul of the world.Santiago ment this women named fatima who he fell in love with ,but he learned to recongize that his love for her could wait,his destiny/dreams coundn’t .One of the things santiago learned from the alcamist was that a hores was more trust worthey ,because a camel could walk forever and die but the horse would give you signs of his death .The alcamist lead santiago to the pyramid teaching him all he neeied to know .Without knowing it the boy was becoming and alcamisht hiselve

The King also help him teaching him about the Omens and giving to him Urim and Thummim because those important things will help to Santiago in his journey. When Santiago decides begin his journey, he is assault by a Spanish boy and lose all his money. Desperate and alone, Santiago decides to work in a Cristal Shop to reunite money and go back to Spain. After work for a year in the Cristal Shop, Santiago learn Arabic and also listened the story of the Cristal Merchant and he relate his boss’ story with his own story. Determinate, Santiago decided to continue with his journey to find his personal legend.

Every night he has this dream, but wakes before he finds the “treasure”. Santiago is reluctant to take action upon the messages portrayed in his dream until he meets an old man who calls himself the king of Salem, Melchizedek. After Melchizedek shows him the powers of nature, Santiago seeks to discover his treasure and sets off to fulfill the destiny one has, to accomplish their greatest desires, aka a “personal legend”. Melchizedek described a personal legend as "what you have always wanted to accomplish.” and he said that ". . . when you really want something, it 's because that desire originated in the soul of the universe.” pertaining to the consistent dreams of the hidden treasure, and his desire for Fatima. In essence, Melchizedek said that the “Soul of the World” is fed by people 's happiness, and that a person 's only real purpose in life is to realize their destiny and accomplish their “personal legend”. Melchizedek concluded with Santiago basically by saying that “when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” I think that is a very important quote throughout the book because with all of the turmoil Santiago withstands, and all the obstacles he must pass, he finds his personal legend because he put his heart and soul into it. I think with the influences of other people, it’s often times easy to get

SANTIAGO is a shepherd boy living in the region of Andalusia in southern Spain. He is young and full of dreams. He longs to be able to see and experience the world around him. His parents’ lives and the life in his village seem to offer nothing to capture his enthusiasm and imagination. One night, whilst sleeping inside the ruin of an abandoned church in the Andalusian countryside, Santiago has a powerful dream for a second time.

Santiago gives it to him reluctantly, to which the old man then asks him of what he is reading. The old man then reveals his name, and that he is the King of a place called Salem. He then offers Santiago’s help for finding his treasure, if Santiago offers him one-tenth of his sheep. He then offers two stones upon their second meeting, which will answer simplistic questions that can be concluded with “yes” or “no.” After having sold all of his sheep, Santiago takes voyage to Africa so that he may start his

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.