Literary Techniques In The Alchemist

Following dreams can be very difficult, there can be bumps in the road, but there are also times when a step is taken closer to achieving the dream. Santiago pursues his Personal Legend of finding treasure at the Great Pyramids in Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist. Coelho writes about Santiago achieving his dream in hopes to show that following dreams, although it can be difficult, is necessary in life or else a life of regret awaits those who give up. The novel’s structure expresses his ideas and easily conveys to the reader what he wants them to take from his novel. Coelho’s novel follows a young shepherd boy named Santiago as he travels to the pyramids in Egypt to achieve his Personal Legend. Santiago has a recurring dream of a child telling him to seek out treasure at the Pyramids when he sleeps under a sycamore tree near ruins of a church. He visits a gypsy to interpret the dream, who tells him to travel to Egypt to find the treasure and in return asks for one-tenth of Santiago’s treasure. Santiago runs into a strange, old

Santiago is a shepherd and he repeatedly says that his sheep’s only purpose in life is to find food and water. His sheep symbolize people who never choose to pursue their Personal Legend. The universe does all it can to help everyone achieve their Personal Legend, but the few who ignore the omens are reduced to living a life of regret and only in need of food and water because they missed their chance to find their true happiness. The only thought that ever crosses the minds of the sheep is food and water, food and water. Without ever reaching their Personal Legend, these people have no happiness and the only thing left to focus on is basic necessities for life. The use of this symbol strengthens Coelho’s novel because it inspires the reader to pursue their dream by showing them what their life would be like if they never take the journey to accomplish their