Analysis Of The Alchemist By Paulo Coelho

“Do the thing that your heart is asking you to do regardless of the external circumstances”(Elliott Hulse). In a wide variety of literature, authors relate to their own life experiences and lessons to better convey the ideas behind what is being told in the story. Looking at an author’s work through a biographical lens allows for the reader to obtain a further understanding of the piece due to having an understanding of the author’s background. While critics analyze writing from a biographical perspective they are, “Relating the author’s life and thoughts to his works,” (Blackmon 1), and when analyzing The Alchemist from this perspective, one would most likely be analyzing the connections between Santiago’s life and that of author Paulo Coelho’s. Using connections to his own life, Paulo Coelho illustrates the importance of following one’s dreams and the steps it takes to find one’s Personal Legend.

Paulo Coelho expresses the how important the knowledge is that Santiago gains in The Alchemist by connecting it to information he has learned throughout his life. This knowledge is shown clearly when the old woman teaches Santiago an important life lesson, “It’s the simple things in life that are the most extraordinary; only wise men are able to understand them,” (Coelho 15). Coelho uses this so he can show the steps that Santiago has to take in order to obtain his Personal Legend, because of this knowledge, and the fact that this woman is one of the omens, it causes it to be one of his steps in life. Susan Sylvia also uses this theory of Coelho’s connection in her criticism when she claims, “Coelho’s own experiences are mimicked in Santiago’s journey to find his Personal Legend,” (Sylvia 1). Sylvia believes there is a connection be...

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...lized that writing was his dream, they sent him to a psychiatric hospital, where he underwent electroconvulsive therapy”(Sylvia 1). Coelho escaped 3 times out of the mental hospital, showing that the obstacle to get past this step was worth it to get closer to his personal legend; to be a writer. It’s important to have been robbed of something because it shows determination when one gets it back and better.

Through Coelho’s life experiences, journey, and obtained knowledge from experience, he has allowed himself to understand that it is very important to follow ones own dreams. Evidently in him becoming self-fulfilled, over coming the obstacle of being robbed, and finding his Personal Legend. For him to share this and give off this message to his readers, Paulo Coelho creates The Alchemist and uses the story of Santiago to bring his own experiences to life again.