The Alchemist Universal Language

834 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The importance of learning foreign languages

The Effect of the Language of the World Throughout a person's life, they are given lessons about the world and the universal language. In The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, the main character Santiago meets many diverse people who help teach him these lessons. Santiago discovers he has a personal legend just as everyone else and through his voyage he meets people that all speak the universal language, even if they do not realize it. This greatly impacts how he understands the world and reaches his Personal Legend. As he travels, he meets more and more people, Santiago meets the merchant’s daughter, the Englishman, Fatima, and The Alchemist who contribute to his realization of the language of the world and impact his voyage for his personal legend. …show more content…

He talks about this girl as someone he met on his travels and he can’t get her out of his head.The merchant’s daughter gave Santiago something to come back too and something to look forward to seeing when he got back from his travels. “He recognized that he was feeling something he had never experienced before: the desire to live in one place forever” (6). He was willing to give up his travels and stay with this nameless girl forever and to abandon what he loved for something else he loved. He doesn’t quite understand what he’s feeling or how this will change his way of life he just knows he has a feeling and can’t quite put a name to it. As his travels continue, he will learn about these feelings and learn the meanings behind

Show More
Related

  • Oppositions: An Analysis of Juxtaposition in The Alchemist

    569 Words  | 2 Pages

    In The Alchemist Paulo Coelho presents a character, Santiago, torn between following tradition and his Personal Legend. Santiago tries to live true to his Personal Legend, which is a path pursued by those who strive to fulfill their purpose in life. Yet throughout the novel tradition, a motif, presents itself as a roadblock holding Santiago back from reaching his dreams. Coelho juxtaposes tradition against Personal Legend to illustrate its purely individual nature and the necessity of the acceptance of change to reach one’s dreams and goals.

    Read More

  • The Englishman And Santiago In The Alchemist

    443 Words  | 1 Pages

    People often do not realize their differences, but the differences in people are what set them apart from all others. In Paul Coelho’s “The Alchemist” two characters do such actions. The main character, Santiago, and the arguably secondary character, the Englishman, do such aforementioned actions. The two characters meet in a caravan that is traveling across the Saharan Desert. Although they do have some pretty interesting similarities, their differences are what intrigue the reader more.

    Read More

  • Diction In The Alchemist

    369 Words  | 1 Pages

    While John Steinbeck and Paul Coelho use Poetic Diction and characters that think they find something of value, but don't really get money from the journey. The difference is what set The Pearl and The Alchemist apart.

    Read More

  • The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

    917 Words  | 2 Pages

    Santiago thinks about the beautiful merchant's daughter. He imagines explaining to her why he knows.....

    Read More

  • The Alchemist: The journey to one’s Personal Legend

    582 Words  | 2 Pages

    Coelho begins by identifying the main characters as they become timely components to unraveling the plot. The first line of the book, after all is, “The boys name was Santiago” (Coelho 3). We come to find that Santiago dreamt of traveling so he gave up his pursue of becoming a priest and instead, became a sheepherder (8). Santiago is already presented as a motivated character that makes efforts to accomplish his dreams. He exists as a dynamic character, rather than static as The Alchemist later on is portrayed. The Alchemist is cha...

    Read More

  • Examples Of Greed In The Alchemist

    1466 Words  | 3 Pages

    But suddenly, when his trip is led off the beaten path, he ends up meeting another girl named Fatima. He explains his love to Fatima on the second day that he sees her by saying, “I want you to be my wife. I love you.” (95). After this we don't hear another reference about the merchant's daughter. However, this encounter may not be so odd. Since he met Fatima in an oasis at the well there is water around them. He has entered a rebirth or baptism and his view and outlooks have changed. He soon forgets about the other woman and has his mind set on this woman. Since water is involved it is baptism, as Foster would say in his, “If She Comes Up it’s Baptism” chapter. He uses the example of, “A young man sails away from his known world, dies out of one existence, and comes back a new person, hence is reborn”(155). This quote perfectly describes how Santiago's views changed in the sense that he jumped out of his shepherd, merchant's daughter life and into the quest seeking, Fatima

    Read More

  • Curiosity In The Alchemist

    1009 Words  | 3 Pages

    “And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it” (Coelho 23), these are the words an old king spoke to Santiago. This phrase constantly runs through Santiago’s mind while on his search for his treasure. Santiago, the novel’s protagonist, begins as a quiet sheep herder who has a recurring dream about being transported to the pyramids in Egypt by a child. Once Santiago met the old king, he decides to pursue his dream, find his treasure, and realize his destiny. Throughout The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, Santiago embodies curiosity, determination, and a naive nature through events that occur while on his search for his treasure.

    Read More

  • The Alchemist as a Monomyth

    1931 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...In conclusion, we can say that after applying Joseph Campbell's theory of The Monomyth on The Alchemist; it is noticeable that despite The Alchemist being a postmodernism wok of literature, the author Coelho used all major patterns of the hero's journey of ancient myth in his novel and this developed Santiago's journey from an ordinary one into an archetypal one.

    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 Alchemist by Paulo Coelho an Andalusian boy named Santiago leaves Spain to travel to Egypt in order to achieve his Personal Legend. During his journey he meets four people, a Gypsy, a King named Melchizedek, an Englishman and an Alchemist, all of whom help Santiago along his journey towards his Personal Legend. However, only the King and the Alchemist teach Santiago lessons that he can learn from and use along his journey. The King teaches Santiago two lessons, to follow omens and that it is not always about the destination but that it is also about the journey. The Alchemist teaches Santiago to listen to his heart for guidance, what the Language of the World is and what the Soul of the World is. He eventually arrives in Egypt after

    Read More

  • The Alchemist Archetypes Essay

    1566 Words  | 4 Pages

    Santiago is a young boy who fits into the flawed hero archetype. His story tells of his journey to find his Personal Legend and the many new people and experiences he encounters. Santiago is flawed in the way that he does not have enough confidence in himself to complete the task set out in front of him. He is constantly putting himself off track and avoiding what he has to do. In the beginning of his journey, he faces a setback and his money gets stolen. While finding a solution and a job, he gets distracted loses sight of his dreams. A couple months into the job, he thinks, “...Egypt was now just as distant a dream as was Mecca for the merchant…” (Coelho 58) and he glorifies his new plan to “disembark at Tarifa as a winner” (Coelho 58) with his improved flock of sheep. However, he continues his journey two years later, despite his break in confidence. When Santiago reaches the Oasis during his journey across the desert, he gets sidetracked once more by a woman. This woman’s name is Fatima. The second time they meet Santiago speaks without thinking and says, “‘I came to tell you just one thing...I want you to be my wife. I love you.’” (Coelho 98). This alone demonstrates his rash actions of an inexperienced hero who causes his dreams to be postponed. However, Santiago is also a successful hero despite his flaws. He still continues his journey, no matter what, and eventually reaches his goal. Even through

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Santiago In Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist

    799 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Alchemist conveyed the up-most truthful meaning of santiago’s personal legend by teaching him the soul of the earth. This stage helped santiago and the Alchemist are talking doing what your personal legend is and also doing exactly what your personal legend desires are when they speak in terms of listening to one’s heart. “Whenever your heart is, that is where you’ll find your treasure. Santiago takes initiative on his dreams and pursue them regardless of love affairs and the hurt that comes along with it. The stage encouraged and also motivated santiago to find his treasure and make a better life for fatima and

    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 Alchemist Quotes

    790 Words  | 2 Pages

    "If someone isn’t what others want them to be, the others become angry. Everyone seems to have a clear ideals of how other people should lead their lives, but none about their own.” That is one of many deep quotes that makes the reader truly think about life in The Alchemist, written by Paulo Coelho. The book is about a young boy named Santiago, who loves travel and adventure, but he does not have the money to do so. He was raised to be a priest, but decides that he would rather be a shepherd, so that he can travel. Santiago’s father gives him two spanish coins, and tells him that he will learn one day that no place is as beautiful as the one he lives in. It seems like Santiago’s father believes in him, but not the way Santiago wants him to.

    Read More

  • The Theme of “The Alchemist,” by Paulo Coelho

    513 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Theme of “The Alchemist,” by Paulo Coelho is, always follow your dreams and listen to your heart. At the start of the novel Santiago does not know what he should do when he is confronted by his dream. But by the end of the novel Santiago completely trusts his heart to guide him though life. Santiago’s story shows him learning and living out the theme of the novel.

    Read More

More about The Alchemist Universal Language

Open Document