Novel’s Structure Analysis
A recurring dream troubles Santiago, a young and adventurous Andalusian shepherd. He has the dream every time he sleeps under a sycamore tree that grows out of the ruins of a church. During the dream, a child tells him to seek treasure at the foot of the Egyptian pyramids. Santiago consults a gypsy woman to interpret the dream, and to his surprise she tells him to go to Egypt. A strange, magical old man named Melchizedek, who says that he is the King of Salem, says the same as the gypsy’s advice and tells Santiago that it is his Personal Legend to journey to the pyramids. Melchizedek convinces Santiago to sell his flock and set off to Tangier. When Santiago arrives in Tangier, a thief robs him, forcing him to find work with a local crystal merchant. The conservative and kindly merchant teaches Santiago several lessons, and Santiago encourages the merchant to take risks with his business. The risks pay off, and Santiago becomes a rich man in just a year
Santiago decides to cash in his earnings and continue pursuing his Personal Legend. He joins a caravan crossing the Sahara desert toward Egypt and meets an Englishman who is studying to become an alchemist. He learns a lot from the Englishman during the journey. For one, he learns that the secret of alchemy is written on a stone called the Emerald Tablet. The ultimate creation of alchemy is the Master Work, which consists of a solid called the Philosophers Stone that can turn lead to gold, and a liquid called the Elixir of Life that can cure all ills. Santiago learns the Englishman is traveling with the caravan to the Saharan oasis of Al-Fayoum, where a powerful, 200-year-old alchemist resides. The Englishman plans to ask the alchemist the secret of his trade.
As it turns out, the caravan must make an extended stop in Al-Fayoum in order to avoid violent tribal wars that were taking place in the desert. There, Santiago falls in love with Fatima, who lives at the oasis. During a walk in the desert, Santiago witnesses an omen that portends an attack on the historically neutral oasis. He warns the tribal chieftains of the attack, and as a result, Al-Fayoum successfully defends itself against the assault. The alchemist gets word of Santiago’s vision and invites Santiago on a trip into the desert, during which he teaches Santiago about the importance of listening to his heart and pursuing his Personal Legend. He convinces Santiago to leave Fatima and the caravan for the time to finish his journey to the pyramids, and he offers to accompany Santiago on the next leg of his trip.
While the alchemist and Santiago continue through the desert, the alchemist shares much of his wisdom about the Soul of the World. They are a couple of days away from the pyramids when a tribe of Arab soldiers captures them. In exchange for his life and the life of Santiago, the alchemist hands over to the tribe all of Santiago’s money and tells the soldiers that Santiago is a powerful alchemist who will turn into wind within three days. Santiago feels alarmed because he has no idea how to turn into the wind, and over the next three days he contemplates the desert. On the third day, he communicates with the wind and the sun and convinces them to help him create a big sandstorm. He prays to the Hand That Wrote All, and at the height of the storm he disappears. He reappears on the other side of the camp, and the tribesmen, impressed by the power of the storm and by Santiago’s ability, let him and the alchemist go free.
The alchemist continues to travel with Santiago as far as a Coptic monastery several hours from the pyramids. There, he demonstrates to Santiago his ability to turn lead into gold using the Philosopher’s Stone. He gives Santiago gold and sends him off. Santiago begins digging for the treasure at the foot of the pyramids, but two men accost him and beat him. When Santiago speaks to them about his dream vision, they decide he must have no money and let him live.
The alchemist reads a book containing the story of Narcissus. According to legend, Narcissus kneeled every day beside a lake to admire his reflection, until one day he became so fascinated with his own beauty that he fell into the lake and drowned. The goddess of the forest appeared at the lake and found the water transformed into salty tears. She asked the lake why it cried for Narcissus, assuming it had admired Narcissus’s beauty. The lake replies that it was enjoying its own beauty reflected in…
The Alchemist: A Fable about Following your Dreams is similar to the work of literature that John Steinbeck wrote, Of mice and Men. Both stories talk about the dreams that the main character(s) and what they do to achieve them. In Of Mice and Men we see all of the hardships and difficulties that main characters George and Lennie go through to reach their Personal Legend, or, what they always wanted to accomplish. So far I believe the book is trying to show what it may take to reach your goals…
In The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, The main character, Santiago, takes three detours on his journey to find is treasure. The first detour is at a crystal shop where he becomes a crystal merchant. His second detour is at a village oasis in the desert. His third detour is through the desert to the pyramids. On all of these detours, he learns things about himself and these lessons end up leading him to his goal. His first detour is at a crystal shop, where he becomes a crystal merchant. At first when…
The Alchemist Throughout life we all come across obstacles. Some we’ve already faced but most we still have yet to face. When we come across these obstacles nothing in life truly comes easy. We’ll come across some that will be good and benefit us in life but we also have to be open minded to the fact that we can also come across some bad obstacles in life. In the novel The Alchemist, written by Paulo Coelho, we come across a young man who goes after the name Santiago. Santiago is a shepherd from…
more focused and pays attention to the world around him. Coelho uses the story of Narcissus in the beginning to show the reader that when you are caught up in your own life you do not realize greater things like nature and friends. The Alchemist has a message that states you can connect a person to nature and the spiritual world. Santiago puts his own interest first throughout the whole book. Instead of becoming a priest he becomes a shepherd to fulfill his desire of travelling. Its different…
The Alchemist was written by Paulo Coelho and it was first published in 1988. It was originally written in Portuguese and has since been translated in 67 different languages. It has sold over 65 million copies worldwide and was awarded “Best Fiction Corine International Award” in 2002. It follows a story of a boy named Santiago who is following his personal legend. The Alchemist has many archetypal themes and symbols including wise old men, women, and the nature around him. Throughout this novel…
THE STRANGER and THE ALCHEMIST Belief and Response Essay As one would make it through The Alchemist or The Stranger they would start to notice a clear separation of what each of these books portray. On one side you have The Alchemist which represents more of a positive outlook on life and following your dreams. On the other you have The Stranger which depicts more of a negative connotation on life. Although these two accounts seem far from each other, they present themes throughout the text that…
Peter Hyun Mr. Cundari ENG4U September 16, 2013 Importance of Copyright in the Cyberspace The development of internet society, human life changed a lot. People having convenience from internet and want to have more simple life. So, online crimes are increasing, especially the infringement of copyright. In now day people do not recognize this issue is not a problem, some of them don’t think this is a breaking the law. People should not download or sharing by illegally; the violator will…
Berenice Mejia Jehanne Brown English 70 Journal #1 Main Points: * Santiago is a Shepard who likes to his job because he enjoys traveling. * He meets a shopkeeper’s daughter which he can’t stop thinking of and is looking forward to see her again after waiting a whole year to deliver wool to his father again. * Santiago dreams a strange dream twice which he is curious about. * He decides to go see a Gypsy to try to figure out what his dream means. * After hearing his dream…
The Alchemist, a novel written by Paulo Coelho teaches us something about the importance of self-dicovery by taking us through the journey of a young shepherd, Santiago. Santiagos depth of self-discovery means at the beginning of the novel are shallow, and we see this when Coelho perceives him believing that travelling through the deserts and experiencing a life as a shepherd is all he wanted to live for. A life of shepherding, Santiago feels was to be his dream. A life different from that as a priest…