How Is Santiago Presented In The Alchemist

Santiago changes in many ways. He changes from worrying about the future, to not worrying. He learns that

The quote I will analyze and relate to me is “We are afraid of losing what we have, whether it's our life or possessions and property. ”(page 76). This quote applies to Santiago’s journey, as he had to give up most of his possessions to continue his adventure. The specific events I will be analyzing are Santiago selling his sheep and the thief who stole his money. At the beginning of the book, Santiago always wanted to travel.

The foreshadowing in this novel prepares readers for decisions Santiago will make later on. This idea is evident when Santiago is explaining to the king why he is shepherd. "They wanted me to be a priest, but I decided to become a shepherd." "Because you really like to travel."" (Coelho 18). When the King completes Santiago's claim by saying that he loves to travel, an inference can be that he will make decisions that will keep him traveling. For example, he decides to keep going on his personal legend instead of staying with Fatima. Nonconformity is seen when Santiago tells the King that even though his parents want him to be a priest, he decides to become a shepherd. In using foreshadowing, Coelho also manages to implant symbolism in the same idea.

Thirdly, the old king’s narration through the passage allows for Santiago to sort out his choices and which one he should choose. As Santiago reflects in his self doubt, he wonders if he made the right choice by following his Personal Legend or if he should turn back. “As he looked at the stone... He had exchanged six sheep for two precious stones that had been taken from a gold breastplate. He could sell the stones and buy a return ticket.” He debates whether or not he should turn around and abandon his Personal Legend because of all the ill that has befitted him so soon into his journey. “ ‘Learn to recognize omens, and follow them,’ the old king had said.” Santiago takes this as heart of what has befallen him so far, he sees that each encounter with calamity has omen to his overall Personal Legend.

Santiago’s growth was inspiring to me. He has learned a great deal from action. He learns quite a lot about the land and his sheep by being a shepherd and paying attention to the world around him. His grandfather had mentioned to him a while back of an omen. “By traveling, watching and paying attention, the world will speak to Santiago to help him find is Personal Legend.” Through action, Santiago learns how easy it is to search for one’s Personal Legend. Everyone has their own way of learning things. For example when Santiago decides to try reading the Englishman’s book and he would try and read the signs of the desert. The boy does not learn a thing from the book and the Englishman learns nothing from watching the caravan. Just as Santiago

1. Upon hearing the title of this novel, I researched what an alchemist is. After doing so, I assumed that it was a novel about an alchemist during his quest to turn lead into gold.

Santiago meets with a gypsy and she tells him to go to Egypt to find a treasure. After the gypsy, he meets the King of Salem and he convinces Santiago to go to the pyramids. At first Santiago was unsere about whether to believe them or not but then he says “It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.” (Pg.11). Santiago then sells his sheep to be able to travel to Egypt. Without the king convincing him to go, Santiago would have never went to Egypt to see how beautiful the pyramids were, learn the language of the world, or find the treasure.

Santiago's courage in facing challenges reflects his growth and determination. "They made preparations to cross the desert, and he felt the fear of the desert" (Page 103). Santiago's journey with the caravan exposes him to diverse experiences and challenges, significantly developing his

Santiago becomes friends with the king who shares a lot of advice and wisdom with him and his enemy is the robber who stole his money also and fatima is his lover and he pages 82-116 tp 143-182 he shows how he learns from everyone and how the desert is so much more than he thought of. By revealing his own failures, the crystal merchant teaches Santiago that dreams can be dangerous, prompting Santiago to stay and give up his dream. The crystal merchant shows the boy the Soul of the World, revealing that the crystal shop was the boy's prize all along. By sharing his story and his regrets, the crystal merchant teaches the boy that some people would rather fantasize about their dreams than live them. The crystal merchant allowed his opportunity to pass him by, teaching Santiago that you only have

When santiago leaves for his Journey, his mental challenge is that he has to leave the love of his life, Fatima, behind. He will miss her dearly and it is hard to tell if his journey will be successful and if he will even make it back alive. Even though santiago does not want to go He knows that “Every blessing ignored becomes a curse.” (Coelho 55) His physical challenge is having to travels weeks and weeks in the hot scorching Sahara Desert with nothing to do but walk.

In this story it shows how one's demeanor and mindset can change once encountering new life situations. How one looks at life can change once you decide to take on bigger opportunities in life and the process of following your dreams. Santiago's character goes through a huge development as he goes on throughout his journey. From leaving his main job as a Shepherd to starting his new journey of pursuing his dreams. Following these dreams, he's able to see the challenges and sacrifices that come with this type of life decision.

Throughout his journey, he has both human and divine mentors. In the first part of the story, Santiago deals with human mentor relationships, both with himself and a wise old man. Santiago shows how he relied on self-guidance, saying that “lives are controlled by fate” (Coelho 20). Therefore, he was not in control of his own life, but the choices he made were controlled by fate. The second mentor Santiago had was a wise old man who taught him

Santiago faces several challenges and disappointments on his travels, like the bandits, crossing the desert, and overcoming his uncertainties within himself. But with the alchemist’s guidance, he comes to accept fear as part of his path to his personal legend. “When each day is the same as the next, it’s because people fail to recognize the good things that happen in their lives every day that the sun rises (p. 30).” This quote shows Santiago's understanding that you have to embrace the bad things in life rather than being content with the same routine of life. Santaigo’s transformation from a shepherd to an alchemist shines a light on his courage to face his anxieties and go through hardships.

Beginning with his voyage, he receives a Call to Adventure that is the “call” the hero receives in order to begin his or her journey. Santiago receives it while sleeping during a normal, peaceful day in his homeland, Andalucia. In his case, he undergoes an extraneous dream in which a child transports him to the eminent Egypt. Trying to analyze the dream, he remembers: “the child took me by both hands and transported me to the Egyptian pyramids”(13). Determined to seek for information, he consults a Gypsy that advises him to find it with the condition of receiving ten percent when he returns. After reflecting on the possibilities of its

Through their interactions, Santiago learns the importance of following his Personal Legend from the crystal merchant's own unfulfilled dreams. The crystal merchant tells Santiago that when he was young, he wanted to go to Mecca. Santiago then asks him why he doesn’t go to Mecca now, and the crystal merchant replies with, "Because it's the thought of Mecca that keeps me alive. That's what helps me face these days that are all the same, these mute crystals on the shelves, and lunch and dinner at that same horrible café. I'm afraid that if my dream is realized, I'll have no reason to go on living."