The Alchemist Outside World

While people come in all shapes in sizes, underneath it all we are still flesh and blood. Even if people have a different skin color or orientation we are all humans living on this earth. This idea, no this fact was really driven home to me when I was traveling with my family around the world. We met people in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Ecuador and though they looked and talked different they had the same needs, concerns and wants. I found a quote by Santiago, a boy in The Alchemist, written by Paulo Coelho that really explains this better than I ever could, “I have inside me the winds, the deserts, the oceans, the stars, and everything in the universe.

Being Your Better Self Becoming better benefits a bunch of beings. When you become better, you may not know it, but people around you benefit from you trying to improve. This happens to the main protagonist, Santiago because he strives to become better and everyone and everything’s lives around him improve as well. In the novel, The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho, Santiago learns, “When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better, too.” To begin, King Melchizedek tries to become better, and in return Santiago becomes better.

The Importance of Perseverance At many times in people’s lives, they consider giving up. This is also true for Santiago, the protagonist in Paulo Coelho's fantasy novel The Alchemist. Santiago is on a journey to find a hidden treasure he saw in a dream. Along this journey he continues to contemplate whether he should just give up, or continue his adventure.

The Alchemist says that Santiago will “spend the rest of [his] days knowing that [he] didn’t pursue [his] Personal legend, and that now it’s too late” (120). In this line, the Alchemist encourages Santiago to continue to pursue his Personal Legend, instead of giving it up for what he has now. This also informs Santiago that time is limited. If he chooses to abandon his Personal Legend, he will spend the rest of his days like the crystal merchant, pondering what it would be like to fulfill his Personal Legend. The Alchemist explains that the process of pursuing his Personal Legend is more important than any dream that he wants to fulfill.

In The Alchemist, Santiago met different kinds of people that would help him reach his goals. While on The Apprenticeship

Paulo Coehlo’s, The Alchemist, explores the Hero’s Journey through the story of a shepherd, Santiago. Throughout the novel, Santiago becomes more aware of his potential as he pursues his Personal Legend. He faces temptations and obstacles as he develops as a character. The hero crosses the threshold when they leave their old reality in search for a new one. Santiago crosses the threshold by selling his sheep and taking a boat to Africa.

He said that people want to find only the treasure of their Personal Legends but not the Personal Legend itself. Santiago had been confused about himself as he listens to the teachings of the Alchemist. The alchemist states, "People who do not know their Personal Legends will fail to understand its teachings". He stated that treasure is more worthy than gold. He also taught Santiago to listen to his heart.

Santiago then tells the alchemist: “My heart is a traitor. It doesn’t want me to go on.” The alchemist replied with a smart answer and said “That makes sense. Naturally, it’s afraid that, in pursuing your dream, you might lose everything you’ve won.” A fear of uncertainty is what Santiago is feeling and he worries he’ll lose everything he’s accomplished so far.

It was the day before Valentine’s Day, and all of the children in the second grade classroom had joyful smiles on their faces. They ran from corner to corner, grabbing supplies for the next day’s decorations. Each person carried a pizza box, awaiting the valentines yet to come, decorated with their name and hearts. Peel and stick letters scattered the floor, and kids zoomed around excited for the coming day. In the corner of the room, next to the numerous shelves full of books, there sat three young girls.

Change Over Time “It is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive but those who can best manage change.” This is a quote by Leon C. Megginson. Santiago has to manage change to help him find his treasure and pursue his personal legend. In the novel, The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho, Santiago learns, “When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better, too. To begin, Santiago gains advice from a wise old king.

Based on the number of copies each book sold in past 50 years, “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho is the fifth most read book in the world (Polland, 2012). "The Alchemist" received worldwide attention. The book is mainly about the journey of a guy named Santiago who is trying to achieve his personal legend which is what people have always wanted to accomplish (Coelho 1998, pg.22). In the book, Santiago faced many difficulties and fear of failure, but Santiago was able to overcome those hardships. Just like Santiago, people nowadays face many hardships or fear of failure that prevent them from achieving their own dreams.

In the book the Alchemist (by Paulo Coelho) Santiago learns many things along the way to achieving his personal legend. He gained skills and experience in things across the board, from how to clean crystals, to the 5 obligations of Muslims, to the basics of alchemy. Santiago learns from the wise, and educated, but also learns the meaning of a true friendship. Overall it is true that reaching one 's personal legend is life 's greatest treasure, but often the journey is just as valuable.

This is illuminated when the Alchemist says, “‘There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure’” (141). This particular moment shows that even though Santiago has both the ability and the knowledge to achieve his dream, it is impossible to attain it if he fears even attempting to reach it. Consequently, this fear acts as his enemy and a barrier that stands in the way of the meaningful and happy life he is destined to accomplish. Furthermore, another one of his fears is the fear of losing what he believes he has already earned. ” He reminded himself that he had been a shepherd and that he could be a shepherd again.

During the whole story Santiago is trying to find his personal legend, he is trying to find his purpose in life. Therefore in the Alchemist, the most important thing is personal legend. Everything is based off Santiago’s personal legend, if he wouldn’t of became a shepherd the book wouldn’t be all about him following his personal legend and trying to figure out what his was. Santiago has to figure out a bunch of new things that lend his to his personal

As Douglas Everett once said,"There are some people who live in a dream world, and there are some who face reality; and then there are those who turn one into the other. " What this essentially means is that there are people who live in dreams, the other’s live in mind and there are some who believe that true meaning of living exists in following their dreams so they try to make their dreams reality. I agree with this quote because some people just dream about things and leave it; while, others don’t believe in dreams at all. Then there are some people who actually try to convert their dreams into reality because they think that dreams are for a reason. This quote is best designed for Paulo Coelho book titled “The Alchemist” as Santiago constantly works to convert his dream into reality