The Alchemist Is Santiago A Hero

863 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Travel narrative

Often in works of literature, the main protagonist is force to go through hard task in order to learn a lesson about society or themselves. In the end, the protagonist is often seen as a hero for doing something that would be considered uncommon or untraditional by those in their society. In novels like The Alchemist, published in 1988 by author Paulo Coelho, Santiago is a young shepherd who is oblivious to the fact that he is a hero because he doesn’t seem to have the characteristics of a hero, he isn’t idolize by the community or hasn’t made any drastic changes in his life - he is a shepherd with no aspirations or dreams for change. However, this all changes when Santiago is faced with a recurring dream, he has no choice, but to pursue his …show more content…

He doesn’t speak the language or know how the people in Africa act; he just knows that his treasure is in Egypt. His innocence and lack of awareness causes him to trust a young Arab boy, who ends up stealing all the money Santiago had, “The boy wanted to believe that his friend had simply become separated from him by accident.” (41) As a result, this causes Santiago to feel helpless and incapable of continuing his personal legend. He sees no point in continuing his journey and decides that he wants to go back to being a shepherd in Spain. However, Santiago remembers the Old King of Salem and his advice on following one's journey. He decides that he wants to continue in order to complete his Journey and not end up like the Baker, who awaits for a chance to accomplish his own journey. For this reason, Santiago is a hero because when tough obstacles come his way, he continues in hopes of finishing his journey and returning back home to his ordinary life and to the Merchant’s …show more content…

Santiago may not seem like the ideal hero, but he is one because he followed his dream and stepped out of his comfort zone. He got the chance to see the world and meet new people, he experienced what it felt to fall in love with someone, what it felt like when you were lied to and beaten up - he had the chance to experience things he never felt before, he left who whole life in Spain just for a chance at finding treasure, but along the way he didn’t expect such

Show More
Related

  • Heroes in The Epic of Gilgamesh, The Ballad of Mulan, and the Film Saving Private Ryan

    3030 Words  | 7 Pages

    A hero can be anyone. The modern day hero does not need physical strength or have super human powers, nor do they need to be of royal decent or obtain a high-flying place in the government. Bernard Malamud explains, “Without heroes, we are all plain people, and don't know how far we can go,” suggesting that heroes are simply role-models we use to learn from. The first introduction to the concept of the Heroes Journey was through Joseph Campbell. In his book ‘A Hero with a Thousand Faces,’ he brings to light the idea of studying the human impulse to create stories that draw on universal themes which is highlighted in his theory of the Heroes Journey. He explains, “A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself,” which demonstrates the idea of portraying a hero as someone who gives without the need for repayment. Similarly the founder of analytical psychology, Carl Jung, talks about heroes in his essay ‘A Study in the Process of Individuation,’ through his concept of introversion and extraversion. According to him, archetypes are distinctive universal psychic temperaments, which form the substrate from which the basic themes of human life a...

    Read More

  • 'The Hero Myth In O Connor Lassiter's Unwind'

    589 Words  | 2 Pages

    Humanity has created this “universal story” of what a hero is, or at least the myth of it, time and again. Different tasks and encounters with a variety of villains all lead the hero to the prize, to a new life (Seger). This person deemed the hero is as ordinary as the next but what makes them different is the drastic test that they must face. Individuals admire this character because the hero stands for something, something bigger than themselves. Whether it be the compassionate act of Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games or the death of the oldest brother in Brother Bear, as an outsider, an individual sees the human side of these heroes and relates. Connor Lassiter from Unwind by Neal Shusterman is an ideal example of the myth due to the

    Read More

  • How Does Santiago Use Imagery In The Alchemist

    668 Words  | 2 Pages

    When an author uses imagery, it can have a positive effect not only on the story, but also the reader. Such effects make the reader feel more involved and keeps them interested, wondering what will happen next. In “The Alchemist”, the author uses imagery to guide the reader through Santiago’s journey. Santiago meets many people while exploring the sites ahead of him and searching for his treasure. Imagery allows a story to be shown instead of told. In the story, the author uses an abundance of imagery to create a more personal experience by extensively describing what characters look like, and allow the reader to become a character in the text.

    Read More

  • The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

    917 Words  | 2 Pages

    Santiago thinks about his discussion with the old man. He is annoyed that the old man was right about his being on the verge of giving up just as he finds his destiny. Wandering around the city, he approaches a ticket seller, but he does not buy a ticket to Africa, where he knows the Egyptian pyramids are. He knows that he could buy a ticket with the money he could make from selling only one of his sheep. As he stands at the ticket window, he decides to go back to shepherding his flock. He muses that neither the old gypsy woman nor the old man understand what it means to have a flock of sheep depend on them.

    Read More

  • The Real Heroes in Literature

    1897 Words  | 4 Pages

    What images are associated with the words “hero”? A muscular Hercules saving the world from Hades? A knight in shining armor bravely riding into combat? Words like bravery, strength, pride, and self-sacrifice are commonly connected with a classic hero. But are those the only characteristics that make someone heroic? A dictionary definition of a hero is “a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities”; however, this is a very elastic definition and there are many other types and definitions of heroes depending on circumstances. Is there one that is correct? Do all heroes share any common characteristics? According to Orin E. Klapp, a hero is “a person, real or imaginary, who evokes the appropriate attitudes and behavior” (135). Heroes can be determined by, and change due to and by societal norms, but at the same time retain certain traits or perform common actions. Bilbo Baggins from The Hobbit, the legendary British thief Robin Hood, and Neville Longbottom from the Harry Potter series all demonstrate that understanding who a hero is involves understanding the situation, his or her actions, as well as the society to which the hero is presented..

    Read More

  • Overcoming Problems in The Alchemist

    617 Words  | 2 Pages

    Have you ever encountered problems while trying to fulfill a goal in your life? In the book The Alchemist, written by Paulo Coelho, a shepherd boy named Santiago overcomes obstacles to reach his personal legend. Throughout the book Santiago encounters many friends to help him fulfill his destiny. Santiago encounters many problems throughout the story. He overcomes them with the help of his friends and his wife-to-be. These problems shape Santiago into a dignified man of many traits.

    Read More

  • The Journey Through Adversity In The Alchemist By Paulo Coelho

    1221 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the beginning of the book, Santiago travels to visit a Gypsy who is said to be able interpret his recurring dream. As a child he had always heard stories about Gypsies capturing children, taking them to their camps and making them their slaves. These stories translated into one of his largest fears for Santiago as a child and that fear returned when he visited the Gypsy, “As a child, the boy had always been frightened to death that he would be captured by Gypsies, and this childhood fear returned when the old woman took his hand” (17). The Gypsy eventually tells Santiago that there is treasure located at the Egyptian Pyramids. Without being able to overcome his fears of Gypsies, Santiago may have never went on a journey to Egypt in order to achieve his personal legend. Another example in the book that shows Santiago overcoming his fears is while Santiago and the Alchemist are travelling towards the Pyramids. They are suddenly captured by a desert tribe at war, who mistakes them for spies. In order to save his life Santiago has to turn himself into the wind. Coelho states, “But the boy was too frightened to listen to words of wisdom. He had no idea how he was going to transform himself into the wind” (83). Two days later Santiago is standing in front of the tribal chieftains trying to turn himself into the wind. He is able to stay calm while his life is on the line and

    Read More

  • Theme Of Sacrifice In The Alchemist

    1796 Words  | 4 Pages

    Santiago is a shepherd trying to pursue his personal legend. His personal legend is the recurring dream about the hidden treasure at the foot of the Egyptian pyramids. In his dream he starts playing in a field with his sheep, when a child appeared and began to play with the animals. This was strange to him because sheep are afraid of strangers, but the sheep and children play along just fine. Then a child grabbed his hands and took him to the foot of the Egyptian pyramids. He begins his journey locally trying to find answers from a gypsy and a man named

    Read More

  • The Hero's Journey In The Alchemist By Paulo Coelho

    1053 Words  | 3 Pages

    Curious, courageous, young, adventurous: these are all words to describe Santiago, the protagonist in the novel The Alchemist. In this novel, Paulo Coelho develops Santiago’s character as a young boy who goes on an adventure to find his life’s purpose. Through the hero’s journey, Paulo Coelho insists that both internal and external struggles often cannot stop people from achieving their goals, ultimately encouraging people to fulfill self discovery and understand who they truly are.

    Read More

  • The Hero's Journey To Santiago In 'The Alchemist'

    1680 Words  | 4 Pages

    Olympics Games Rio 2016 is on in full swing and the name Michael Phelps has cropped up several times during the past few days. Just recently he won his 19th Olympic gold medal. But getting there was not easy for him. I read an article recently about his journey so far and could find similarities in his journey to those of Santiago in The Alchemist.

    Read More

  • Heroism In The Alchemist

    685 Words  | 2 Pages

    Santiago, a young shepherd form Spain, repeatedly had a dream about a child leading him to The Pyramids in Egypt. He was confused about these experiences until he met The Gypsy Woman, who enlightens him about personal legends, how everyone has one destined and how some follow the path to the finale and some give up or ignore realizing theirs. Santiago, being a brave

    Read More

  • What Are The Similarities Between The Alchemist And Lord Of The Flies

    1251 Words  | 3 Pages

    He remains hopeful, and he makes sure to stay true to himself and follow his inner omens. Back at the merchant’s shop, Santiago is willing to help him live his dream out. The merchant’s dream is to travel to Mecca one day, but when Santiago tries to help him achieve this goal, he will not budge. His only hope in life is to go to Mecca, so feels that is he goes there, he would simply lose the will to live as he has no more hope. We do however, see the survival instincts kick in of the young boy who steals Santiago’s money. With a greedy heart he runs away with all the coins in order to protect himself, and hopefully his family. Here the boys survival methods almost vanquished the hope in Santiago’s heart, but in the end he was able to pull through. The merchant is similar to Lord of the Flies as it is hope(and dreams) that keep these characters moving in life. However some characters may be similar, there is a clear and defined line between Santiago and the boys on the island. It is easy to tell that the light and hope has disappeared from the boys’ hearts after the murder of Simon, but Santiago is able to get back up and keep going on his

    Read More

  • Being A Hero In Sonnet By James Weldon Johnson

    1573 Words  | 4 Pages

    Heroes, people say don't be them, because it risks your life and it is not worth it, afterward you don’t get paid, you don’t get powers, you're just you by the end of the day and does something some people call dumb. Of course, ..., but being a hero is not just Rafael at a fair to become one, rather to be one is to do what's right even when everyone is not. not to mention to do it for the better of life, in any event not for glory, at the same time for anything that drives you to keep going.

    Read More

  • Overview of The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

    965 Words  | 2 Pages

    “ Where your treasure is, there also will be your heart”(159). This is what the alchemist said to the main character. The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho, tells a story of a boy named Santiago, who goes on a long journey to discover his personal legend. As Santiago goes on his journey to pursue his personal legend, he is faced with many challenges, as well as left to make difficult decisions that change him forever. As Santiago travels the world, he becomes a hero. In The Alchemist, Santiago shows characteristics, as well as archetypal characteristics that make him a hero. Santiago displays kindness, bravery and wisdom; also he is considered a hero because he displays many characteristics of an archetypal hero. He displays archetypal characteristics such as: receiving supernatural help, proving himself many times and receiving an apotheosis.

    Read More

  • Themes in The Old Man and the Sea

    948 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the story, Santiago’s bravery is unsurpassed, but it is not until he hooks the “great fish” that we truly see his valor and perseverance. Through Santiago’s actions, Hemingway teaches the reader about bravery and perseverance in the face of adversity. He demonstrates that even when all is lost and seems hopeless, a willful heart and faith will overcome anything. Santiago had lost his “luckiness” and therefore the respect of his village. Through the description of his cabin, we also suspect that Santiago is a widower.

    Read More

More about The Alchemist Is Santiago A Hero

Open Document