Regardless of the challenges you face, pursue your dreams.
Action
The development of Personal Legend
"It what you have always wanted to accomplish. Everyone, when they are young, knows what their Personal Legend is."(21)
Personal Legend is someone's destiny or main purpose in life. It is doing something you dreamt of or always wanted to accomplish. Santiago's Personal Legend is to find treasure in the pyramids of Egypt.
"And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it."
(22)
The quote talks about when you achieving your Personal Legend the universe will help you in achieving it.
Santiago faces obstacles through his journey to the pyramids of Egypt.
Santiago versus self
"When I had my sheep, I was happy, and I made those around me happy. People saw me coming and welcomed me, he thought. But now I'm sad and alone. I'm going to become bitter and distrustful of people because one person betrayed me. I'm going to hate those who have found their treasure because I never found mine. And I'm going to hold on to what little I have, because I'm too insignificant to conquer the world.(39)
Santiago feels unmotivated to follow his personal legend and the journey after being robbed at Tangier. Santiago lost his sheep and money and feels the journey is not worth it.
Santiago solves this conflict by reading the omens and believing in himself to continue his journey. Santiago would find a job in a crystal shop and would earn money from it.
"I want to stay at the oasis," the boy answered. "I've found Fatima, and, as far as I'm concerned, she's worth more than treasure." (118)
Santiago doesn't want to leave Fatima as he is in love wit her. By going to the pyramids, Santiago is abandoning her and feels like it is a betrayal. Santiago believes Fatima is the treasure but the alchemist says it is still at the pyramids.
This conflict is solved as Fatima says it is fine for him to continue the journey and she will be waiting him for his return.
"They were solitary individuals who no longer believed in things, and didn't understand that shepherds become attached to their sheep. He knew everything about each member of
his flock: he knew which ones were lame, which one was to give birth two months from now, and which were the laziest. He knew how to shear them, and how to slaughter them. If he ever decided to leave them, they would suffer. "(27)
Santiago doesn't want to sell his flock of sheep as he enjoys being a shepherd and is attached to them. Santiago is afraid that his flock of sheep aren't able to live without him and sell his most prized possession.
Santiago solves this conflict by sacrificing his flock of sheep to continue his journey. Santiago hopes once he completes the journey he will continue being a shepherd.
Santiago versus person
"But now, as the sun began to set, he was in a different country, a stranger in a strange land, where he couldn't even speak the language. He was no longer a shepherd, and he had nothing, not even the money to return and start everything over."(39)
Santiago met a stranger in the port Tangier and got robbed by him. This leads to Santiago unmotivated to complete his journey.
Santiago solves this conflict by getting a job at the crystal merchant's shop and earns money from the shop.
"But ever since he had been a child, he had wanted to know the world, and this was much more important to him than knowing God and learning about man's sins. One afternoon, on a visit to his family, he had summoned up the courage to tell his father that he didn't want to become a priest. That he wanted to travel."(8)
Santiago has studied hard to fulfil his parent's wish of being a priest. However, Santiago didn't enjoy that type of job and wanted to travel.
Santiago solves this problem by telling his parent's that he wants to be a shepherd instead of a priest. Fortunately, his parents agreed and Santiago has got his desired job.
Santiago follows his dream
Santiago had a dream about discovering treasure in the pyramids of Egypt.
Santiago would get his dream interpreted from a gypsy
woman. The woman says he must visit the pyramids of Egypt to discover the treasure. Later in the story, Melchizedek says Santiago must visit the pyramids of Egypt to discover the treasure.
Santiago sells his flock of sheep and begins the journey to the pyramid of Egypt.
Santiago's journey in Egypt
Santiago visits the port of Tangier and meets a new friend. The friend promises to guide Santiago to the Pyramids. Santiago would give all of his money to his friend as he trusts him. They both visited a marketplace and Santiago's friend would leave him without noticing.
Santiago felt upset and unmotivated to continue the journey. Santiago took his Urim and Thummim stones and ask questions about it. After getting great feedback, Santiago feels better and decides to continue the journey. Santiago would visit a crystal merchant shop and get a job there.
After working at the shop for nearly a year, Santiago was ready to continue the journey. Santiago joins a caravan that visits Al-Fayoum, Egypt. Along the ride, Santiago becomes friends with the Englishman. The English man studied to be an alchemist and wanted to visit a 200 year old alchemist in Al-Fayoum. The journey was long as they had to take many detour because of the desert climate and rumours of tribal wars.
Once, the caravan reached Al-Fayoum Santiago and the others were required to stay there. The reason why is there is a tribe war and they will not attack the oasis. In the oasis, Santiago meets Fatima and falls in love with her. However, Fatima says Santiago must continue his journey once the war is over and come back if they were meant to be.
One day, Santiago has a vision of the army coming to attack the oasis. Santiago doesn't ignore the omen and informs the chieftain tribals. The tribal took Santiago's information serious as they believe in omens.The tribal says they will guard the oasis and Santiago will be rewarded. However, if Santiago is wrong they will kill him.
Santiago meets a horseman who would be the alchemist. The alchemist asked him a few questions in where Santiago answered truthfully. The alchemist says once the war is over he must meet him. The next morning, war struck in the oasis and tribal were successful in defending it. Santiago was rewarded with gold and was asked to be the tribal counselor.
Santiago would leave the oasis to continue his journey with the alchemist.
Literary Device
“And this is my interpretation: you must go to the Pyramids in Egypt. I have never heard of them, but, if it was a child who showed them to you, they exist. There you will find a treasure that will make you a rich man.”(14)
The literary device that is used is foreshadowing. The gypsy woman interprets Santiago's dream and says he must visit the pyramids of Egypt to discover the treasure. This foreshadows future events as Santiago ends up going to the pyramids of Egypt to find treasure. This relates to the action as it is the main plot of the novel.
"The desert is a capricious lady, and sometimes she drives men crazy."(71)
The literary device that is used is metaphor. The desert is being compared to a capricious lady and establishes the danger of the desert. The quote demonstrates that the journey of the desert is not simple and it is quite difficult. This relates to the theme as the desert is a challenge Santiago faces to pursue his dream.
Characters
Santiago
Santiago follows his dream by visiting the pyramids of Egypt. However, Santiago faces a lot of obstacles to his journey to Egypt.
"But ever since he had been a child, he had wanted to know the world, and this was much more important to him than knowing God and learning about man's sins. One afternoon, on a visit to his family, he had summoned up the courage to tell his father that he didn't want to become a priest. That he wanted to travel."(8)
Instead, of becoming a priest he decides to become a shepherd. Santiago always wanted to travel and the career of a shepherd suited his desire better. Santiago summons the courage to tell his parents even though he promised them to become a priest. Fortunately, his father was fine with Santiago becoming a shepherd instead of a priest.
Crystal Merchant
"Because it's the thought of Mecca that keeps me alive. That's what helps me face these days that are all the same, these mute crystals on the shelves, and lunch and dinner at that same horrible café. I'm afraid that if my dream is realized, I'll have no reason to go on living."(55)
It should be noted that the crystal merchant is an example if people don't follow their personal legend they will be unhappy. Since, the crystal merchant has not visited Mecca it resulted in him to unhappy and to live the same old boring life everyday. The crystal merchant shows that following your dreams will result in happiness. In my opinion, the crystal merchant should visit Mecca as he will live his dream. Although, it the thought of visiting Mecca keeping him alive he should still visit it.
miner
"The miner had abandoned everything to go mining for emeralds. For five years he had been working a certain river, and had examined hundreds of thousands of stones looking for an emerald. The miner was about to give it all up, right at the point when, if he were to examine just one more stone — jus tone more — he would find his emerald. Since the miner had sacrificed everything to his destiny, the old man decided to become involved. He transformed himself into a stone that rolled up to the miner's foot. The miner, with all the anger and frustration of his five fruitless years, picked up the stone and threw it aside. But he had thrown it with such force that it broke the stone it fell upon, and there, embedded in the broken stone, was the most beautiful emerald in the world. "(24)
A miner has abandon everything to mine for emeralds. For five years, the miner didn't find any emeralds. The miner was about to give up and smashed a rock with all of his frustration. The rock he smashed ended up being an emerald. Without a doubt, the miner proved that hard work will pay off.
The Englishman
"Ten years at the university, and here I am in a corral.
But he had to move on. He believed in omens. All his life and all his studies were aimed at finding the
one true language of the universe. First he had studied Esperanto, then the world's religions, and now it
was alchemy. "
The Englishman has studied science and wanted to learn about alchemy. The Englishman wanted to learn about the secrets of alchemy and he decided to do so. The Englishman wants to discover the Master's work and philosopher stone through alchemy. Furthermore, Englishman studied very hard on alchemy and hopes to achieve the goal of Master's work or philosopher stone.