Alchemist Hero's Journey

Some may refer to The Alchemist as a best-selling novel written by Paulo Coelho which explains the ideas of having a dream, or Personal Legend, and going through obstacles to conquer it. The book starts off like any other, introducing and describing the main characters, in this case Santiago is the first to share the interest of peers reading the story. He is said to be a small town shepherd boy who will do anything for his flock of sheep. In the opening scene of the story, Santiago takes his flock to an abandoned church and lies down under a sycamore tree hoping to get some rest. He is soon woken up from a disturbing dream which foreshadows further into the story of his own Personal Legend. Later in the book, Santiago is faced with multiple tests to be successful in finding his treasure. “Remember that wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure” (Coelho 15). Paulo continues to add characters in the book that help Santiago throughout his journey.

After leaving the church he crossed the Spanish Plains to get to Tarifa, where a woman who interprets dreams lives. Tarifa is on the southernmost tip on Spain; it’s a port town. The woman he came to visit wasn’t much help but she request that when he finds the treasure he will give her 10% instead of paying her now for her services. He agrees and leaves without paying anything. Santiago eats and buys a new book in Tarifa.

In Paul Coelho’s novel, The Alchemist, a boy named Santiago is followed through his journey to finding his Personal Legend. Santiago begins his journey as a shepherd with a recurring dream about finding treasure, so he visits a gypsy woman because he cannot seem to understand where the treasure is located. He gains more insight about this treasure and the importance of his journey through interactions with an old king, an Englishman, a crystal merchant, an alchemist, and other spiritual beliefs. In the end, he eventually finds his treasure at the church where he begins his journey as just a shepherd. Some of the most influential mentors throughout his journey are the old King of Salem, the crystal merchant, and the alchemist.

Although a hero seems like a faraway distant character who possesses a unique ability that saves humanity, an everyday citizen in society holds the ability to impact the lives of others can become a hero. In the novel, The Alchemist, the protagonist, Santiago, travels as a shepherd but ultimately, follows The Hero’s Journey Archetype. As Santiago pursues a journey for treasure and self-knowledge, Santiago faces several difficult challenges and character-defining moments that assess his ability to succeed. Coelho depicts Santiago as following the stages of the Hero’s Journey Archetype such as The Mentor, The Abyss, and the Return to the World. Thus, Coelho employs The Hero’s Journey Archetype to demonstrate the

The Alchemist The Alchemist is a novel by Brazilian author Paulo Coelho, which utilizes the full cycle of the Hero’s Journey and uses omens to symbolize it. Everyone experiences the journey of a hero, which is the common template of a timeline/plot in which a hero is transformed after a battle of self discovery. The fiction novel also brings light to the many abstract themes/motifs the book has to offer. For example, omens are one of the main concepts that are revealed throughout the journey.

Santiago then decided to go with the Caravan, which traveled across the desert to Egypt. Santiago meets an Englishman, who is traveling the desert to meet an alchemist. The title of this book is “ The Alchemist” and this is the first time that Alchemist and alchemy is mentioned. I feel that Alchemy has a lot to do with Santiago. Maybe he might become an Alchemist, since in his dream he wakes up before he can find the treasure.

The alchemist knows all, understands the Soul of the World, knows the Master Work and has already achieved his Personal Legend. The alchemist comes into Santiago’s story to teach the boy how to become all he can be, and lead him to his Personal Legend. The alchemist tests and tutors Santiago with trials, such as being confronted about his omen, finding life in the desert, and turning himself into the wind. But due to the alchemist’s teachings, Santiago is able to accomplish these tasks. The alchemist says many wise things, such as “Before a dream is realized, the Soul of the World tests everything that was learned along the way.”

Free, tranquil, and adventurous are just are few ways to describe the life of Santiago, the main character of Paulo Coelho's novel The Alchemist. As a young boy he leaves behind his father’s idea of becoming a priest to follow the path of a shepherd, which he later abandons to follow his personal legend. Through the perspective Santiago’s journey, Coelho suggests that in order to further one's self, one must believe in self, believe in others, and a struggle with their belief.

Have you ever felt like there was more out there that you could achieve? In the Alchemist there are illustrations and topics that talk about journeys, destiny, legends, alchemy and more. Throughout the novel Santiago, the main character goes through a journey to find his legend and destiny. While he goes through his journey, he finds an alchemist and learns alchemy and how destiny is connected all around the world.

The Alchemist Essay “To realize one’s destiny is a person’s only obligation”. (from The Alchemist). The story of the alchemist is about an Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago who travels from his homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of a treasure buried in the Pyramids. Focusing on fulfilling our own Personal Legend, Coelho encourages his reader to follow their dreams and the importance of listening to our hearts. Everyone has their own Personal Legend, their ultimate goal in life, but many of us never pursue it.

The lessons of taking risks, perseverance and trust were the most crucial elements for Santiago to find his Personal Legend. The main character in Paulo Coelho’s, The Alchemist, learns many lessons which are essential in achieving his Personal Legend. TS: First of all, one of the compelling lessons Santiago learns is not to hesitate to take risks when it offers an opportunity to step closer to his Personal Legend. STS: Taking risks ultimately lead Santiago to his treasure when he first

At the start of the novel, we meet Santiago; an Andalusian shepherd with a dream of finding treasure in the Pyramids of Egypt, yet does not know what he should do when he is confronted by his dream. But by the end of the novel Santiago completely trusts his heart to guide him through an incredible journey. The theme of Coelho’s novel, The Alchemist, has shown to be: “Do not give in to your fears”. Santiago’s story helps get the theme across to the reader as he overcomes

Throughout “The Alchemist” there are various archetypes that contribute to the development of the meaning, which is to always pursue your dreams with passion, and not let any setbacks interfere with the goal in mind. Two archetypes in particular that focus on this are the quest, and the initiate. The quest, which is “a plot that concentrates on finding an object… (Wkbook 233)”, along with being “a long arduous search for something (Webster 788)” is the journey that Santiago set out on in order to pursue his dream of finding his treasure, his personal legend. This quest demonstrates how a person can set their mind to something, and as long as they have the passion and desire to see it through to the end, they will be able to overcome any setback along the way and pursue their quest until it is complete. This contributes to the development of the novel’s meaning by indicating how if something burns strong enough inside of us it can push us to reach beyond our assumed limits. The Alchemist displayed this when he told Santiago “Where your treasure is, there will also be your heart (Coelho 87).” This shows that if a person is passionate enough about a certain desire, no obstacle will be too great for them to overcome. It also reveals to the reader that when someone cares strongly enough about something that lies deep within their heart, as Santiago did for pursuing his personal legend, there is no

The title might relate to the text because the story may feature an alchemist as a main or pivotal character in the story. The title also relates to the story because in the novel, Santiago must discover how to achieve his Personal Legend, and along the way, the Alchemist, guides him and shows him how to do so. In the same way an alchemist can change a simple metal to gold, people who have never followed their dreams or Personal Legends can be changed into a new person who is fulfilled within themselves and changed into something better. The title suggests that an alchemist, a person who is typically known to be a master in the arts of turning various metals into gold, is an important part of the story in helping Santiago do approximately

14) 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, how does this simple lesson change Santiago’s life? How does it lead him back to the treasure he was looking for?