Part 1, Section 2: Summary

Santiago thinks of the time he met the girl he loves. He had met her when he had gone to sell some wool to her father, a merchant. He busied himself with a book as he waited. The girl was curious and had asked him why he led a shepherd’s life if he could read. Santiago had answered that his sheep taught him more than books ever could. As he talked with the girl, he found himself wanting to settle down with her. Her father had brought the wool from Santiago and had asked him to come again the following year. Santiago is now about to meet her again.

On his way to meet the merchant and his daughter, Santiago wonders if the girl he loves will remember him. He questions the purpose of carrying his jacket on such a hot day, but he soon remembers that it will be useful during the night when it gets cold. He realizes that everything in the world has a purpose, and so should he. He is convinced that the purpose of his life is to travel. His thoughts meander to his flock of sheep. He bemoans their absolute dependence on him for food and shelter. He thinks that if he were to kill them, they would hardly resist. Santiago is surprised at his violent thoughts. He also thinks of a conversation he had with his father. His parents had wanted him to become a priest, but he wanted to travel. His father tried to dissuade him: Santiago was told that the only people of their social standing who could actually travel were shepherds. Santiago immediately decided to become one upon hearing this. He decides to tell the merchant’s daughter as much when he meets her. While his father initially did not support him, he soon gave in and allowed Santiago to follow his dreams. He even gave him gold coins to buy a flock of sheep. He secretly hoped that his son would soon lose interest in travel and return to him. While leaving, Santiago perceives envy in his father’s eyes. He realizes that his father, unlike him, had chosen not to pursue his own dreams.

Part 1, Section 2: Analysis

This section underlines the importance of social status in society. While Santiago is a happy shepherd, he still feels inferior to the merchant. Santiago knew very early on that he wanted to travel; accordingly, he chose to pursue his dreams. Fulfilling one’s dreams is the core message of the novel, and we meet characters who chase their dreams and those who choose not to. Santiago’s father did not follow his dreams, and Santiago finds himself comparing his parents to his flock of sheep who are dependent on him for everything and, like his parents, hold him back. In his violent thoughts of killing the sheep, we get a sense of the deep resentment he harbors within himself. We also get a glimpse of the importance that fate will hold in the novel—we learn that the three gold coins Santiago’s father gives him to start his new life had been found in a field. Notably, this is an instance when a higher power seems to have come to his aid. The instance also echoes Melchizedek’s belief that when one truly wants something, the universe conspires to help.