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Key Themes in The Alchemist
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Related Essays on The Alchemist
Coelho, Paulo. The Alchemist. HarperOne, 1993.
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A Metaphor for Life: “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho Essay (Book Review)
Analysis of the main character, new culture as a significant challenge, coelho’s attitude to the main theme, works cited.
The book The Alchemist can be described as a metaphor for life. It is funny how dreams can mold a person’s life. It is a paradox such that people consider other lifestyles as better than theirs, thereby striving to get that life that belongs to different cultures, through that lives are transformed. The essay on The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho shall analyze the traits of the main characters and critical themes in the novel.
Dreams can be seen as the driving forces behind an individual’s life as they bring about desires that mold an individual’s destiny because through them, then fate ceases to be the determinant of happenings in an individual’s lifetime. Santiago, a young shepherd, the main character in the story The Alchemist, is portrayed by Paulo Coelho as a go-getter to some extent.
As is clear from the summary, he repeatedly gets a dream that haunts him and pushes him to follow it, and thus his expedition in the story; he wants to achieve that dream (Coelho 34). Santiago gets the simple lessons of life of believing in the signs that one gets in life, even if it is just through dreams and following them till he achieves them. The crossing of cultures leads him to following his goals, which he finally achieves.
The boy, Santiago, is driven to search for the hidden treasure in Egypt. The desire makes him cross many countries and even the vast Sahara desert, whereby he meets different characters, both deceitful and truthful, who shape his life. This is similar to the way the young Chinese man and other international students cross the borders to get to Melbourne to study, their treasure in this context, education.
When the young man shows up in the author’s office with scratchy English (Coelho 45), it is evident that there is a bit of transformation from his past self to his present self.
The young Chinese appreciated the author’s message that she had given him the first day he visited her office because she says so. In the same spirit of appreciation, the boy Santiago appreciated the advice given to him in the story, which leads him to acquire the treasure that he set out to look for.
For instance, he gives the older man a share of his sheep, that is, a tenth of his flock and promises to give a tenth of his treasure to the older woman. The Chinese student, on the other hand, brings the tutor a painting of a well embroidered Chinese woman (Coelho 61). This, therefore, gives the importance of appreciating those who help us in our endeavors to acquire our different treasures in life.
Through the harsh experiences that he faces, the boy learns the value of being strong, patient, and persistent, and being a hard-working person. Regardless of the setbacks that he encounters along the way, he does not give up. Just like in Rachael, no potential was seen in her as a nurse. She was discouraged by her tutors that she could not make it as a children’s nurse, but her so many visits to the Occupational Health Department, which convinced the tutors that she was capable of becoming a nurse, saw her through (Coelho 25).
It took a year to convince them and about fifteen visits, and in the long run, she was allowed to take up the career path that she had dreamt of and desired to do. Her desire and persistence to follow her dream made her accomplish her heart desires. Following a dream can sometimes seem too hard and expensive, but the determination in it tells all about the conviction that one has.
The Alchemist book review essay shows that the boy in the story is portrayed by Coelho as humble and a brave character. The king tells him that when he wants something, the world will always conspire to help him achieve it, and now that he wants to get the treasure, then he is going to get it as long as he is ready to face the challenges (Coelho 24).
The challenges he faces in foreign lands can be likened to the challenges faced by those living in the outer suburbs of Melbourne. We are told that the further one lives away from the city, the more harsh life is for them because life there is a bit depressing and that there are little or even no amenities at all. The public transport system is also weak. The kinds of houses that are there are in a sorry state, just like street lights are not in proper functioning conditions.
Fitting into a new culture can be demoralizing more especially after relocation to a new place, but regardless of this, accepting the prevailing conditions in order to achieve one’s heart desires is reason enough to go on, the international students face problems of housing but with perseverance they the can achieve their ultimate goals and desires.
The boy Santiago takes up every opportunity that comes his way, and he swallows through so many problems that he encounters along his path of getting to the treasure. He worked hard towards his destiny because no problem was too big for him to deal with.
We find that dreaming is one thing, and following that dream is another. Rachael had a dream of becoming a nurse, and she felt that she needed to give back to the community and serve the people who had made a significant difference in her life. That is why she really wanted to be a children’s nurse, she was laughed at told on several occasions that it was never going to happen because a nursing course was not suitable for her and that she was fit to a desk job (Coelho 25).
Nevertheless, as is evident from the assessment, her desire to follow her dream was the driving force that led her to achieving it in the long run. Had she given up along the way due to the words of discouragement from even her tutors, she could not have become a voice to reckon to the parents of the sick children that she attended to at the Children’s Out-patient Department (Coelho 25).
In the story, we are also brought to a level ground where freedom to choose what one wants to do should be embraced and given room to drive us. Freedom is the ability for one to do what he or she likes and that entails following one’s heart.
Through this, one is capable of exploiting his or her own potentialities and doing something that is self-fulfilling, if one is made to do something that dictates his or her destiny in a forceful way, then the end results will always be bitter. The boy chooses to travel the world because this is his inner calling other than studying theology and becoming a priest.
He enjoys the life of adventure and traveling to new places. On her part, Rachael could have been forced to do a desk job because of her health, something that she could have done regretfully, thereby ending up a slave in a career path that on the contrary, should have brought her inner peace and happiness. The boy was allowed to follow his heart, which led him later on to acquire his life experiences that are worthwhile, even more than he could have achieved material treasures.Thus, with the help of vast imagery, symbolism, and paradoxes in The Alchemist , the author shows us the full circle of the story.
The challenges faced by adapting to a new culture can sometimes be too much to bear, but how ready is a person to bear with the challenges that come with it? At the same time, it can be hard to make a dream a reality, but how persistent that can one be to catch up with that dream (Coelho 89)? Both parties, therefore, should equip themselves with the communication gear, which most definitely is the vehicle that will enable one to get to his or her destiny.
The individual will get room to express him/herself, thereby appreciating each other as well as compromising with each other’s feelings where possible, that way the joy of learning will have come into play. Once a dream has been hatched, then the determination and persistence that will be employed in making it a reality is what will determine whether it is going to be the destiny of an individual, and that is what brings in the difference between destiny and fate.
Though not sure of his destiny, he strives to get it no matter the challenges, and his life experiences show that everyone needs to work hard to achieve success, one needs to strive for the good things in life. This simply inspires people to put effort in order to achieve our goals, for one to make his or her dreams become a reality, he or she is not just going to sit there and wait for dreams to fall into place, one needs to risk the good things in life in order to achieve better ones (Coelho 100).
As is clear from the essay on The Alchemist, Coelho simply intends to bring to our attention that if one dreams and wishes for something then one should be persistent about it and be patient for long enough, one might lose an opportunity by getting tired at the last minute and give up so quickly, and see the fruits after somebody else has achieved the fruits of our long-suffering. Just like Santiago, one’s wishes can come in both material objects and life experiences, as for the case of Santiago, his journey to the Pyramids in Egypt, is his treasure.
Coelho, Paulo. The Alchemist. New York. Harpertorch. 1993. pp. 1 – 163.
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IvyPanda. (2022, June 14). A Metaphor for Life: "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-alchemist/
"A Metaphor for Life: "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho." IvyPanda , 14 June 2022, ivypanda.com/essays/the-alchemist/.
IvyPanda . (2022) 'A Metaphor for Life: "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho'. 14 June.
IvyPanda . 2022. "A Metaphor for Life: "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho." June 14, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-alchemist/.
1. IvyPanda . "A Metaphor for Life: "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho." June 14, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-alchemist/.
Bibliography
IvyPanda . "A Metaphor for Life: "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho." June 14, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-alchemist/.
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The Alchemist (Coelho)
By paulo coelho.
- The Alchemist (Coelho) Summary
The Alchemist tells the story of a young shepherd named Santiago who is able to find a treasure beyond his wildest dreams. Along the way, he learns to listen to his heart and, more importantly, realizes that his dreams, or his Personal Legend, are not just his but part of the Soul of the Universe.
Santiago is a humble shepherd whose desires are few–he wants to be free to roam with his sheep, to have some wine in his wineskin and a book in his bag. Fate intervenes, however, in the form of the recurring dream of a great treasure hidden thousands of miles away at the base of the Egyptian Pyramids. When Santiago meets Melchizedek , a strange wise man who claims he is a king from a far-off land, he decides to seek his treasure. The next day, Santiago sells his sheep and embarks to Africa to pursue his dream.
Upon arriving in Africa, though, it becomes apparent that things will not be as easy as he thought. The first day Santiago is in Tangiers, he is robbed and left completely alone, unable to speak a single word of Arabic. At first Santiago contemplates giving up and turning around. He remembers the words of the wise man, though, and decides to carry on–getting a job at a local crystal shop. After working at the crystal shop for a year, learning much about life and about his Personal Legend, Santiago earns enough money to buy a new flock of sheep and return home. At the last minute, though, Santiago decides to risk it all and join a caravan to Egypt.
Once in the caravan, Santiago meets an Englishman who has come all the way to Africa to seek a renowned alchemist. As they travel through the desert, the Englishman tells Santiago about the secrets of alchemy. Santiago finds the Englishman's ideas to be very similar to Melchizedek's. They both speak of a Soul of the World to which we are all connected and of the necessity of following our heart's true desires or our Personal Legend. Santiago, however, prefers to learn these secrets by observing the world, while the Englishman prefers to learn from complex books. While they travel, they begin to hear rumors of a coming tribal war.
When they finally arrive at the Al-Fayoum oasis–the home of the titular Alchemist–Santiago meets a beautiful girl named Fatima with whom he immediately falls in love. He discovers that love, like the Personal Legend, comes directly from the Soul of the World. While walking in the desert, Santiago has a vision of an upcoming battle. He rushes back to warn the elders at the oasis and, when his vision is confirmed, they offer him a position as a counselor. Santiago considers staying at the oasis with Fatima, but the Alchemist finds Santiago and tells him that he will lead Santiago to his treasure.
Once again on the move, the Alchemist teaches Santiago to listen to his heart. Hearts can be treacherous, but the best way to keep them from fooling you is to listen to them intently. Almost to the pyramids, Santiago and the Alchemist are taken prisoner by a warring tribe. The Alchemist tells the tribesmen that Santiago is a powerful magician who can turn himself into the wind. The tribesmen are impressed and will spare the lives of the men if Santiago can do it. The only problem is that Santiago has no idea what he is doing. After three days of meditating, Santiago uses his knowledge of the Soul of the World to ask the elements to help him. First he asks the desert, then he asks the wind, then he asks the sun and, finally, he asks the Soul of the World. Immediately, the wind whips up, and Santiago disappears and reappears on the other side of the camp.
The Alchemist takes his leave of Santiago, who continues on to the Pyramids. Once there, Santiago is attacked by robbers. Asked what he is doing there, Santiago replies that he had a dream of a treasure buried at the base of the Pyramids. One of the robbers laughs at him, and says that he has had the exact same dream, except that in his the treasure was buried in Spain. Santiago realizes that the treasure was back in Spain the entire time.
The story then jumps forward in time and finds Santiago digging a hole at the base of the tree where he had had his first dream. Sure enough, he finds a trunk full of gold–enough for him and Fatima to live happily for a long time.
The Alchemist (Coelho) Questions and Answers
The Question and Answer section for The Alchemist (Coelho) is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.
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, what did he do to find his treasure?
Santiago digs a hole at the base of the tree where he had had his first dream. Sure enough, he finds a trunk full of gold–enough for him and Fatima to live happily for a long time.
According to the book, is it possible to live a fulfilling life without ever achieving one’s Personal Legend? Why or why not?
This is very much a perspective question. It would be possible to have a good life but the complete fulfillment would not be there. The crystal merchant, for example, lived a good life but not one that was fulfilled.
At this point, the boy remembers the old proverb, "The darkest hour of the night came just before the dawn."
He left Santiago to complete his journey alone because this was how Santiago was meant to fulfill his own personal destiny.
Study Guide for The Alchemist (Coelho)
The Alchemist is a modern fable by Paulo Coelho. The Alchemist study guide contains a biography of author Paulo Coelho, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.
- About The Alchemist (Coelho)
- The Alchemist (Coelho) Video
- Character List
Essays for The Alchemist (Coelho)
The Alchemist essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Alchemist written by Paulo Coelho.
- The Importance of Religion and Spirituality in The Alchemist
- How Dreams and Omens Support the Theme of Interconnection
- The Importance of Dreams
Lesson Plan for The Alchemist (Coelho)
- About the Author
- Study Objectives
- Common Core Standards
- Introduction to The Alchemist (Coelho)
- Relationship to Other Books
- Bringing in Technology
- Notes to the Teacher
- Related Links
- The Alchemist (Coelho) Bibliography
Wikipedia Entries for The Alchemist (Coelho)
- Introduction
- Adaptations
Home / Essay Samples / Literature / The Alchemist / A Quest for the Soul: The Alchemist Book Review
A Quest for the Soul: The Alchemist Book Review
- Category: Literature
- Topic: Book Review , Literature Review , The Alchemist
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