Theme Of Symbolism In The Alchemist

In “The Alchemist” Coelho remarks, “Battles had been fought nearby, and the wind reminded the boy that there was the language of omens, always ready to show him what his eyes had failed to observe.” (2.471) Ultimately, the omens served as a signal that indicates the future of a person's life like a fortunate teller however, it reveals hidden truths about the world. In addition, the concealed veracity of the world was uncloaked to a selected few individuals that comprehend the significance of omens through interpretation of minimal everyday experiences. As the selective individuals decipher the message that is being told through cryptic communications with man and nature which can change our outlook on life with a refreshed perspective. Moreover, Santiago has been hand picked by the universe to decode the messages that are revealed to him by nature's elements that can solely speak the language of the world to him. Furthermore, Santiago is the messenger that transmits the warnings, guidance, and future of the world that can be read through the eyes of those whom seek their personal legend. Also, Santiago boldly challenges nature's elements by turning himself into a climatic form such as, the wind even though the tribal chief conceived the act of transforming oneself implausible to perform however, the unimaginable

Social isolation is a social issue where people avoid contact with one society. They are commonly seen nowadays preventing people from interacting with another as well as creating reliable relations, abating any chances for one to realize their destiny. This negative spiral immensely affects the opportunity for people holding a feeling of love and community toward others.

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.

The reader will also discern the scores of parallels able to be drawn between Santiago and Jesus Christ, making Santiago a literary ‘Christ-figure’. Both were somewhat outcast, in Santiago’s case because he was not a native Columbian. This makes it easier for the town to allow Santiago’s death, and make him the scapegoat. The town’s unwillingness to save Santiago is similar to the Jews choosing to have Jesus killed rather than a murderer. In both cases, those who had the chance to save the innocent man felt terrible afterwards. Jesus had foretold his own death, and although Santiago was blissfully unaware of his demise until it befell him, the narrator states ‘never was there a death more foretold.’ In dying for the sake of Angela Vicario’s honour, Santiago is sacrificed for the sins of others, which was also Jesus’ purpose in dying. In addition, the seven fatal wounds Santiago suffers probably represent the Seven Deadly sins.

     Santiago leaves his family to become a shepherd, before leaving his dad gives him money he has saved up, Santiago buys sheep with the money. As a shepherd Santiago travels around Spain. As he travels he is in search of food and water for his sheep. During his journeys he gave his sheep names and really connects with them. When he ran out of money, Santiago sold wool from his sheep for

The Narrator explains that people can’t always do things they would like to do. In the novel, Santiago runs into dilemmas, but improvised to still continue his

The responsibility to warn Santiago Nasar about the Vicario brothers was but in the hands of the townspeople, who failed to save him. If Santiago Nasar really is a religious figure of a savior, and that the world failed to save him, the world will end. Actually, the first dreams in the book, those of Santiago Nasar, are initially interpreted to symbolize a salubrious future for him. However, the dreams are later seen again as symbols of his unfortunate death. The ambiguous mood can relate to the many differing perspectives on the end of the world. For example, there are some people who believe in science in that the world will live to be millions and millions year older, while others believe that reputed seer Nostradamus’s prediction that the world will end in 2012.

In the beginning, when I was reading the Alchemist, I wondered on how this novel could translate into fifty-six languages and sold over sixty-five millions of copies because the story was not appearing to me. The story begins about a shepherd, whose name is Santiago, talking to himself and his sheep all the time, and having a recurrent dream about there is a treasure at the Pyramid. It was a boring beginning. As the story continues to be dull until the old man, the king of Salem, tells the boy a that “..the world’s greatest lie [is] that at a certain point of our lives, we lose control of what's happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate” (Coelho, page 18). His conversation with the boy catches my attention, and makes me want

The foreshadowing in this novel prepares readers for decisions Santiago will make later on. This idea is evident when Santiago is explaining to the king why he is shepherd. "They wanted me to be a priest, but I decided to become a shepherd." "Because you really like to travel."" (Coelho 18). When the King completes Santiago's claim by saying that he loves to travel, an inference can be that he will make decisions that will keep him traveling. For example, he decides to keep going on his personal legend instead of staying with Fatima. Nonconformity is seen when Santiago tells the King that even though his parents want him to be a priest, he decides to become a shepherd. In using foreshadowing, Coelho also manages to implant symbolism in the same idea.

Santiago’s growth was inspiring to me. He has learned a great deal from action. He learns quite a lot about the land and his sheep by being a shepherd and paying attention to the world around him. His grandfather had mentioned to him a while back of an omen. “By traveling, watching and paying attention, the world will speak to Santiago to help him find is Personal Legend.” Through action, Santiago learns how easy it is to search for one’s Personal Legend. Everyone has their own way of learning things. For example when Santiago decides to try reading the Englishman’s book and he would try and read the signs of the desert. The boy does not learn a thing from the book and the Englishman learns nothing from watching the caravan. Just as Santiago

Foreshadowing is frequently utilized in the short story. This device is present to illustrate that all occurrences in life are the effects of one’s previous choices by hinting that something in the future will change because of someone’s actions.

Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist tells the story of Santiago, a young shepherd living in an abandoned church in a small Andalusian town, who is stripped of his comfortable and safe lifestyle after an encounter with Melchizedek, an Islamic king who tells him of his “Personal Legend” (21). Melchizedek points Santiago in the direction of his treasure only after taking one-tenth of his money, giving him two stones, and a lesson on reading omens. Throughout his journey, Santiago meets new friends, has everything stolen from him three times, and travels the vast and unknown Sahara Desert all while achieving personal growth and an understanding of his life’s meaning. His journey leads him to an Oasis

The only life Santiago knew was being a shepherd, but one day he made a decision that he wanted to know more. He wanted to get out of Spain and see the rest of the world, and from there the rest of the story develops. The same goes for all of us, in that the rest of our stories are based on the decisions we make today – we decide to be better, we decide to be happy, we decide to be successful. It all starts with that decision.

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.

Who the narrator is and where he stands in the social environment of their community allows the author to create magical realism as well. The genre of magical realism is what enriches the sense of time and helps the narrator tell the story after his return to unfold the truth of it all. This is shown through Santiago’s dreams, “He’d dreamed he was going through a grove of timber trees where a gentle drizzle was falling,...”(pg. 3) the narrator states that Santiago’s mother's interpretations of dreams had earned her a reputation, “but she hadn't noticed any ominous augury in those two dreams of her son’s, or in the other dreams of trees he’d described to her on the morning preceding his death.” (pg. 4) Reminiscing on the past events and the misinterpretation of the dreams led the narrator to later say “Nor did Santiago Nasar recognize the omen.” (pg. 4) as if he wished that Santiago could’ve noticed the foreshadowing created by the dream.