The Alchemist
Paulo Coehlo was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in August 24, 1947. He is a famous Novelist. He wrote many well-known novels such as, The Alchemist which has been one of the best seller novel around the world. It has been translated into sixty seven languages over hundred and fifty countries worldwide. This amazing novel was written in 1986, and it was based on Paulo Coehlo's experience after doing his Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostella in North of Spain. This outstanding novel has a touch of magic, fantasy, illusion, and love. Furthemore, Santiago who is the main protagonist of this story has some basic qualities such as, courage, wisdom, and decision to face obstacles. These all attributes help him to achieve his goal to find his Treasure.
Summary:
The Alchemist is a story of a humble shepherd boy named Santiago from Andalusia, Spain. He had a peaceful and happy life with his flock, but one day he had a dream that revealed a hidden treasure buried at the Egyptian Pyramids. Santiago willing to turn that dream into true he decided to consult a Gypsy woman because she might can interpret his dream. She told him that his dream is in the language of the world, and if he goes there he will find a great treasure. Santiago after listening her answer related to his dream he thought that her interpretation was a kind of lousy. Consequently, Santiago decided to buy a thick book in order to spend his time doing something productive as learning things from a book. In the same day, Santiago met an old man who told him how he could get his treasure. Of course Santiago was surprised about the words mentioned by the old man when he did not even mentioned about his dream. The old man proposed to help him to find his treasure, but he had to pay him with 1/10 of his flock. This old man was a king of Salem in Tarifa. The king told the boy about his own dream in which he succeded discovering his Personal Legend. And, now is his turn to help him to discover his real obligation in this world, so he gave to the boy two rocks, Urim and Thumin, which help him to make decisions when he got problems on his path. Santiago decided to follow his dream after that, but when he got in Africa he was robbed. Santiago without any penny in his pocket he decided to find a job. He started working at crystal glasses store for almost a year. Those months of hard work he succeded saving lot of money. Enough money to get back home and buy two times the number of sheep that he had before left his town. Santiago after worked at crystal store he had learned new skills on working, dealing with costumers, and speaking a new Arabic Language.
Later, he quietted that job because he decided to continue his journey looking for his treasure. So, he joined to a caravan of two hundred people who were going to cross the Sahara Desert. During his adventure Santiago had the chance to met an English man who had the same dilema as him. They were looking for their own Personal Legend. The English man helped the boy telling him that the alchemist lived at the Oasis. Once Santiago was at the Oasis he met Fatima who was a beautiful girl, and the boy felt in love of her. Santiago almost forgetting his goal decided to follow his adventure, but this time he met the Alchemist who helped him to continue pursuing his dream. The alchemist taught the boy many things such as, to listen his heart, never feel weak for loving someone, and never give up in any hard situation of life. These all things helped Santiago to be more mature and secure of himself.
Santiago was guided by the alchemist during his hard challenges, but now it was time that Santiago keep going by himself.
Three hours before reaching the pyramids was the last time the boy saw the Alchemist. When Santiago got at the place where his treasure was hidden, he started digging into the sand in order to find his treasure. Unfortunately, he was severe beaten by robbers who stold his money. But, before they left, the lead of them revealed his dream of finding a treasure in a ruined church in Spain where sheperds slept under a sycamore tree. And, he conclude saying that he did not pursued his dream because he was not stupid to cross the desert. After that, Santiago started laughing because he realized where his treasure was.
Psychoanalysis of the book
This story is based on a true experince of Paulo Coehlo in wich reveals his journey looking for his treasure, he had passed lot of obstacles and lessons that life set up to him. Santiago looking for his personal legend learned many things such as, to listen his heart, to be brave and to discover his abilities and intelligence on working. The main thing that Santiago learned was listening his heart because it could guided him to do the right things through actions. As a conclusion, his courage of never giving up helped him to succeded accomplishing his goal. Furthemore, the book of the Secret written by Rhonda Byrne is based on the force of attraction in which it says that things and situations are attracked by thoughs. It means that people create their own situations of life, and the Universe and God are part of that situations. Those situations can be difficult or easy, but they are part of life's test. These all situations help people to understan the really meaning of life and the tasks that people have to accomplish in this world.
Symbols and Archetypes
There are many symbols in this story for example, the king, "The king is a symbolic figure of authority and power" according to the Dictionary of Symbolism. Also, I believe that him represnts to God. The first thief, who I believe was the person who help him to discover his new skills at working and speaking a new language. The crystal merchant was another person who help him to be smart in taking decisions in life, such as continue looking for his treasure. The English man, who help him to be more secure of himself. Fatima is the symbol of love. The last thief was an example of given up. And, the main symbol in this story was The Alchemist which represents a warrior person that do not know about given up, and likes to accomplished succesfully his goals. Furthemore, there are other symbols such as, "the Desert" which represents endless, possibilities, eternity and death. "Wind" represents to Holy spirit, life and messenger. "Air" represents to activity, creativity, liberty,and light. And, "Heart" which represents love emotions.
Works Cited:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Alchemist_(novel)
http://books.google.com/books
http://bookreviews.nabou.com/reviews/thealchemist.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Secret_(book)
http://central.wmrhsd.org/FACULTY_FILES/rkipp/LINK_DOCS_1015/Archetypesandsymbols.
http://www.umich.edu/~umfandsf/symbolismproject/symbolism.
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