Fate In The Alchemist

To Achieve Your Dreams
The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho, has a very interesting theme. It’s about how luck and fortune are one and the same and how everything around the boy helps him to achieve his destiny. But how does this theme change and develop in the book? Imagery is often shown as omens throughout the book and help develop the theme. But primarily, the supporting characters help the boy in the story. The theme of luck and fortune develops throughout each character's personal destiny, it is shown not by what their fortune is but by how they get it. They all help and are related to the main character’s, Santiago's, destiny.
Maktub, it is a phrase that continuously reappears through the boy's entire adventure. It means “as it is

written” meaning, it is your destiny (Coelho 60). The boy slowly learns that everything that happens to him as been predetermined or has been already “written”. Like when he meets Fatima, the boy refers to her smile as an omen of true love and almost abandons his true fortune. But she believes that she is part of his destiny and fortune (Coelho 102). The word is linked to his destiny and helps reveal what fortune is truly meant for you. There is another phrase that often comes up in the character's conversation. It is said by the old king and the alchemist, “When a person really desires something, all the universe conspires to help that person to realize his dream” (Coelho 120). This phrase relates to how the boy and all others realizing their dream will face luck on their way. It is the universe helping them to achieve their goals (Novels). This sense of luck is just the boy choosing the right path and making good decisions on his way. It is about the journey more than it is the reward. The boy found the treasure back at where the entire story began (Novels). This raises the question, why couldn’t Santiago just have been told the treasure was there, and not gone to the pyramids (Novels)? Because with out leaving on his journey, the boy would have never gained the knowledge and love that he did. It is learned that the experience and memories gained are more important than the physical wealth you acquire. Therefor ,the luck and omens he has experienced has taught given him more than wealth ever could.
The fact that the author uses third person really helps the story progress.

We can learn all the thoughts of the boy and other characters in the story. Their lives help us understand the boy's journey by mimicking it in many aspects. For example, The Englishman works to understand how to turn lead into gold. He works, not for the gold, but for the knowledge and understanding of how to make the gold (Novels). There is also The Merchant that helps the boy directly by mimicking and differing their lives. The boy is working for the merchant with no hopes of getting his treasurer. But at the end when the boy has more money then he has ever had and can help the merchant expand his shop, he continues his journey with a new found desire (Coelho 63). The merchant has a dream that he wants to achieve but is afraid that when he does he will have nothing to live for. Just as the merchant does, the boy too has a dream but their difference is that the boy is afraid if he will be able to achieve his goal. But the boy still wants to realize his dream, this is also how they differ (Coelho 57). In doing so, the boy sees how his life is just like the merchants up to now, steadily heading towards pointlessness without his dream. So he continues his journey and archives his true

goal.
The tremendous theme in this story is portrayed and devolved greatly throughout the boy's and all the other character's journeys. The omens used in the book, not only help Santiago, but they also help us understand why and how the boy's fortune is achieved. These omens and words of luck and fortune come up many times, to make sure the true message can be understood. That message being that the journey is more valuable than the goal ever will be. The supporting characters do a huge job in showing this as well. Santiago may have achieved his dream but still has more to live for thanks to his adventure.