Theme Statements For The Alchemist

The third and fourth obstacle Santiago faces is his fear of defeat and realizing his dream. For example, “They made him continue digging, but he found nothing. As the sun rose, the men began to beat the boy. He was bruised and bleeding, his clothes torn to shreds, and he felt death was near.” The obstacle he defeated was the fear of defeat people will meet on the journey to fulfilling our destiny. People have to be patient in difficult times and know that the universe is conspiring in our favor, even if some do not know. Santiago had patience and allowed the men to beat him. Because of his patience they eventually left him alone

Therefore, the old king’s narrative that is told through Santiago's thoughts has grand narrative significance to the overall passage. It help Santiago

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?

One of the most important lessons Santiago learns on his journey is to never quit. At the very beginning of his endeavor, Santiago faces a major obstacle, the language barrier. The narrator says, “…he had forgotten a

One literary device that conveys this message, is the device of irony. One example of irony in this book, is how Santiago set out to find the girl he wanted to see, but ended up finding the King of Salem instead. This is ironic, as this book shows how your destiny is predetermined, meaning that his destiny led him to learning about the concept of destiny. He followed his destiny which led him to a place he never expected, but ended up taking him on a journey. This shows readers to pursue what they want, because even if they don’t end up where they originally ended up, they may still end up somewhere else. A second example of irony relating the Coelho’s overall message was Santiago actually meeting the King. Santiago originally tried to ignore the King, as he just saw him as an old man. However, due to his morals, he acknowledges the King, and learns, on top of the concept of the Soul of the Universe, that many try to hide from their destinies. This is ironic, as meeting and speaking with the King is

Some people in the book assisted Santiago on his guide, but the Alchemist inspired him to not give up. He said, ‘“At that point in their lives, everything is clear and everything is possible. They are not afraid to dream, and to

Again, it’s similar to Odysseus in The Odyssey, due to the fact that Santiago was out to seek treasure and finds his true love on his journey, while Odysseus in The Odyssey, was on a desperate search for gold and riches but realized the real treasure is what he misses most, his wife and home. Santiago’s quest on finding his treasure can also closely relate to The Count of Monte Cristo. Edmond is seeking revenge on Fernand and a key part of his journey is to seek treasure in order to rise in social ranking. Both Santiago and Edmond had searched great lengths in order to find their treasure as Santiago “crossed the desert in search of a treasure near the

Santiago starts his journey relying on his good luck, but when he arrives in Tangier, he is stolen from. The alchemist tells him

The first significant person to direct Santiago to his personal legend was the King of Salem. The King of Salem is the character that introduces Santiago to his personal legend and what a personal legend is. Through this it adjusts Santiago’s path and desires to find out what the Old King was talking about. “None of what the old man was saying made much sense to the boy. But he wanted to know what the “mysterious force was;” (22). By this little spiel from the Old King Santiago takes a turn in his life. He suddenly is curious about this “hidden treasure” and is determined to find out more. If Santiago never met the King of Salem then he never would've known about his personal legend and continued to meet other important characters in his life. The Old King also encouraged the belief of omen to the boy through the use of white and

Omens were a guide for Santiago in his journey. The king assist Santiago in recognizing omens by giving his two stones for making decision. “They are called Urim and Thummim. The black signifies ‘yes’, and the white ‘no’. When you are unable to read the omens, they will help you to do so. Always ask an objective question” (Coelho 32). Afterwards, Santiago used two stones after he was robbed by the boy. “Am I going to find my treasure?” he asked (Coelho 44). “He had learned that there were certain things one shouldn’t ask about, so as not to flee from one’s personal legend. “I promised that I would make my own decisions,” he said no to himself (Coelho 44). Santiago is trying to ask the stones for an answer of his question. Santiago’s personal legend is to find treasures. But then the question he had asked is not objective and it’s not a yes or no question. If the stones have given the answer, then it’s end of the journey and it would give it away the ending.

In the novel The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, the protagonist is a young shepherd named Santiago who longs to travel the world. He has a recurring dream about treasure in Egypt and goes on a prolonged journey in search of it. His treasure ends up being right where he begins, but it is evident that his voyage is essential to finding it because he learns crucial lessons about the world along his adventures. People that Santiago meets along his adventure help him and teach him about love and the Soul of the World. They encourage him to follow his Personal Legend and to never give up on it. Spain, the desert, the oasis, and other locations that Santiago must travel through produce complications that he has never dealt with before. Santiago must conquer his fear and overcome obstacles that are thrown at him. Coelho uses plot devices such as characters and settings to enhance the themes of love, fear, and Personal Legend and make The Alchemist a successful novel.

Use this doc to keep track of your quotes and write your paragraphs. My page numbers from this edition: http://www.shipk12.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Paulo_Coelho_-_The_Alchemist.pdf Location Two quotes (with page #s) Paragraph Spain (primarily Tarifa) before Santiago's departure "It was as if some mysterious energy bound his life to that of his sheep." (6) "It's the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting." (13) In Spain, the reader is introduced to an observant and philosophical boy named Santiago.

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

At the end of the book Santiago didn’t exactly find treasure when reaching his destination. The true treasure was finding himself during the journey which could only happen in making the decision to go on the journey. The true treasure was the love in his heart and to find the treasure. Santiago was so determined to complete a task and he followed his heart and he did just that. The true treasure was finding himself.

The most interesting thing I found about the novel was the way Paulo build up Santiago’s hopes and then destroyed them. Paulo not only did this several times but he also chose to do it right after Santiago thought he had learned a lesson about life. Most books I have read don’t build up and destroy the main characters hopes so perniciously.