The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

When analyzing the importance of the structure and substance of a work of literature, people often times make the blunder of only putting emphasis on the substance. Instead of regarding the substance and structure of a novel as two vastly different things, they should think of them as a Christmas tree. If the structure was the bare pine tree, then the substance would be all the ornaments used to decorate the tree, and together they are a Christmas tree. But without the tree itself, the Christmas tree would not exist, for there would be no place for the ornaments to hang on. (Terlaje) In the same way, the substance of a story is dependent on the structure, because the structure lays down the foundation for the substance. Once an author is aware of this, they should be able to achieve pathos- the persuasion of the audience by appealing to their emotions. (Comp. Notes) Paulo Coelho had recognized this, which is why his novel, The Alchemist, has sold more than 30 million copies in 56 different languages worldwide. (Wikipedia) Although The Alchemist is written in such a way that it can be easily understood, the novel’s structure and substance is for more complex and profound, making use of interconnected fables in order to reveal a deeper meaning allegorically. This is achieved through the novel’s structure as a parable, the allusions and parallels found in the novel, and the use of archetypes as symbols.

An allusion is defined as “a person, place, or thing that subtly hints at or pints to a commonly understood reference in time or space that is either actual or fictional.” (Terlaje) In order to know what constitutes an allusion, one must draw out parallels in two or more stories as a way of revealing the simil...

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“The gravest mistake a student makes when taking on a writing assignment is making the assumption that the audience is the teacher.” (Terlaje) However, instead of making the same mistake students often make, Paulo Coelho did not target one specific audience or “teacher” when he wrote The Alchemist. Through the art of story-telling, Coelho took the universal truth stating that everyone should live out their personal legends, and turned it into the eminent novel that is The Alchemist. Coelho wrote in “the language of the world;” captivating his audience with his wise words about the human life experience. Through the novel’s structure as a parable, the allusions and parallels found in the novel, and the use of archetypes as symbols, Coelho has written a novel that can still be valued by a wide array of people around the world.