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What Does Santiago Learn From The Alchemist

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Pursuing one's personal journey is the main concept in “The Alchemist”. Everyone has one, some seek to live it and others never chase after it. The crystal merchant is one of the ones that chose not to go after it and never took any risks. Santiago is the exact opposite, he never stops pursuing his journey and is destined to achieve it. Many lessons can be learned from the crystal merchant, such as fear of failure, regret, and pursuit of one's dreams. Santiago walks into a small town that he was unfamiliar with and makes a friend who ends up robbing him. After he is robbed, he begins to search for a way to make his money back and he stumbles upon the crystal merchant’s shop. The crystal shop was successful for a while, but business wasn't as good anymore and the shop fell off. Santiago offered new ideas that would spark business and bring in customers. …show more content…

Santiago's journey is guided by a deep sense of purpose and spiritual fulfillment, whereas the crystal merchant's motivations are primarily driven by material concerns. Throughout the novel, Santiago learns valuable lessons about the true nature of wealth and happiness, realizing that true fulfillment comes from following one's heart and pursuing one's dreams, rather than accumulating material possessions.”Intuition is really a sudden immersion of the soul into the universal current of life”(coelho65). In contrast, the crystal merchant remains fixated on maximizing profits and expanding his business, believing that material wealth is the key to happiness. However, despite his financial success, the crystal merchant ultimately finds himself feeling unfulfilled and empty, highlighting the emptiness of a life driven solely by material pursuits. “Thats what helps me face these days are all the same, these mute crystals on the shelves, and lunch and dinner at the same horrible cafe.

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