Compare And Contrast Siddhartha And The Alchemist By Paulo Coelho

Every person is faced with important decisions which can change his or her life. The main characters in Siddhartha by Herman Hesse and The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho realized that they had the power in their own hands to change their lives around. In both novels, the main characters, Siddhartha and Santiago, set out on a journey in order to reach enlightenment, because they felt disconnection within themselves. Although Santiago and Siddhartha faced different types of obstacles on the journey, they both had the same desire to find their Personal Legend. Neither of the characters gave up on their dream, because they listened to their heart. Siddhartha and Santiago also had mentors who guided them in the direction of finding enlightenment. Despite the external influences on the main characters’ journey to achieving their personal goals, the most important influence on them was the inner voice, which they learned to follow. Every decision a character makes in his life originates in his mind. In both novels, Siddhartha and Santiago began to change their life when their hearts told them to. When he was a Brahmin, Siddhartha began “to feel the seeds of disconnect within him," so he decided to leave his home in search for enlightenment (Hesse 5). Siddhartha and his “restlessness of the soul” sparked the beginning of his long journey
Santiago learned the language, or the Soul of the World, which helped him save hundreds of people from the invasion, as well as saving his own life when he turned himself into wind. Santiago’s long journey gave him the love of his life. Siddhartha also became more united to nature, especially the river. If these two men decided not to trust their instinct and search for the unknown treasure, they would not have gained wisdom through their experience, and neither would have reached