Many people often credit their success to an influential person like a coach or teacher. In The Alchemist, several individuals help the protagonist, Santiago. The first person that helps him is the crystal merchant. Another person who guides him is the alchemist. Finally, the King of Salem, Melchizedek, helps Santiago achieve his personal legend by helping him understand that the universe conspires to help those who pursue their dreams. With the help of the crystal merchant, the alchemist, and the king of Salem, Santiago shows that a person must take control of his or her life to achieve success. To begin, the crystal merchant is the first to contribute to his personal Legend. When Santiago is robbed in the marketplace in Tangier, he loses …show more content…
Santiago receives guidance, information, and support from the alchemist. The Alchemist becomes an important part of Santiago's journey and guides him on his path to self-discovery. Another way the alchemist helps Santiago is by showing him that the journey itself is just as important as the destination. When the alchemist says “...before a dream is realized, the Soul of the World tests everything that was learned along the way…master the lessons we’ve learned as we’ve moved toward that dream” (Coelho 132). The alchemist is suggesting that these tests are designed to help the person learn and grow, so they can become better equipped to achieve their ultimate goal. He is emphasizing the importance of mastering the lessons learned during the journey toward the dream so that when the dream is finally realized, the person is ready and capable of handling the responsibility that comes with it. The alchemist is referring to the idea that when a person is pursuing their dreams, they will encounter obstacles and setbacks along the way. These challenges are tests from the Soul of the World, which is believed to be the spiritual force that governs the universe. This message is a central theme in the novel, as Santiago learns to trust his intuition and follow his heart, even when faced with challenges and obstacles. Ultimately, it is this trust in himself and his own desires that lead him to discover his personal …show more content…
Santiago is assisted in completing his own particular legend by Melchizedek, the King of Salem. Santiago is guided by Melchizedek, who gives him beneficial information and input. His guidance is essential for Santiago, who is struggling to comprehend his soul's true goals and what his own unique legend actually incorporates. The Urim and Thummim, which Melchizedek also provides Santiago as a practical tool to help him on his journey and can be used to interpret the omens. Melchizedek presents Santiago the Urim and Thummim so that he can interpret the messages the universe is sending him, ultimately bringing him closer to his own particular legend. Santiago is able to tap into his inner strength and courage, overcome his doubts and fears, and ultimately fulfill his destiny. Melchizedek not only assists Santiago in finding his treasure but also teaches him a few life lessons along the road. Santiago was discussing the riches with Melchizedek near the beginning of the story. However, Melchizedek stated that he needed to be rewarded for his services, so he requested one-tenth of Santiago's flock, but Santiago refused and asked if he could give him one-tenth of his fortune after it was discovered. Melchizedek goes on to say, "When you want something, all the universe conspires to help you achieve it" (Coelho 64). This quote demonstrates the alchemist's belief that the
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.” First, the king teaches Santiago an important lesson. Next, the Englishman tells about a fear he once had. Last, Santiago learns another important
These are some of the last words the Alchemist says to Santiago before they part ways. He explains to the boy why he had to undergo tests and trials in order to fulfill his personal legend. Santiago endured many hardships, but it all started with "beginners luck. " His first trial was when he was robbed of all his possessions, and it ended with having to turn himself into wind. These tests were put in place to have Santiago ace the lessons he had learned along his journey.
In The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho uses the story of Santiago to illustrate that adversity stands as a necessity in one’s growth and transformation. Coelho talks about how if an individual is persistent about reaching their “treasure”, they will not only
The Alchemist's teachings to Santiago about the Soul of the World demonstrate that everything in the universe is connected, and each person has a role to play in the grand scheme of things. This idea is exemplified in the novel when Santiago realizes that pursuing his Legend is not just about him but also the people he meets along the
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.
Each journey has a unique path that we could only notice when we don’t focus on the things that have and haven’t happened. Coelho uses the protagonist Santiago as a young man who’s just started his journey and is placed with the alchemist who was already about to finish his journey so Santiago could absorb some of his wisdom. For example the alchemist told Santiago in the beginning of his journey “Don’t think about what you've left behind… Everything is written in the soul of the world and there it will stay forever.” ( Coelho 127).
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 book The Alchemist, Santiago obtains his personal legend by completing the steps of the hero’s journey. In the beginning of The Alchemist, Santiago gets a call to action but refuses and he gets tested. Santiago gets a call to action via his dreams. He goes to see a dream interpreter but it does not help.
The theme of the story, is someone achieving their own destiny. In other words, your own personal dreams. Santiago had a lot of obstacles in his path to his dreams. Just goes to show it’s not always easy to get where you want to be. When Santiago was with the old man, he had told him “When you are young you believe that all your dreams are possible, or will come true,” “but as time passes by a mysterious force begins to convince them that it will be impossible for them for them realize and achieve their destiny.”
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.
For instance, he compares Santiago's journey to that of a caterpillar turning into a butterfly, which symbolizes the transformative power of pursuing one's personal legend. Through this metaphor, Coelho conveys the idea that the pursuit of one's personal legend is not only a journey of self-discovery but also a process of transformation. Finally, Coelho's use of allegory is perhaps the most effective way in which he conveys the central idea of The Alchemist. The book is full of allegories, such as the alchemist himself, who represents the wise mentor who guides Santiago on his journey, and the desert, which represents the trials and tribulations that Santiago must overcome in order to achieve his personal legend.
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
Santiago, a young 18-year-old man who continually has dreams of riches hidden among Egypt's pyramids. Intrigued by the dream, he becomes a shepherd to travel to the pyramids and find his personal legend. Paulo utilizes minor characters to make the novel a meaningful and interesting text. A minor character who plays a significant role in shaping the story is Melchizedek.