Paulo Coehlo's The Alchemist

“In his pursuit of the dream, he was being constantly subjected to tests of his persistence and courage. So he could not be hasty, nor impatient. If he pushed forward impulsively, he would fail to see the signs and omens left by God along his path.” The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo explains that everyone has a Personal Legend and if you do not follow your dreams you will never discover it. In order to find one's Personal Legend one must follow the omens and the Language of the World. To learn this language you must listen to everything around you, including nature. One's Personal Legend is know at a young age but then forgotten as time goes on. If one truly wants to find one's Personal Legend then the universe will help you along your path, leaving
omens for the traveler to follow. These omens point the way and help you understand what your treasure means. In order to follow these omens one must understand the Language of the World. It is a language that all living things know and use. This universal language plays a role in finding one's Personal Legend.
The Alchemist has many aspects that are all interpreted differently by people.
Personal Legends is one of these themes that can be portrayed differently based on the person. One of the comments on this aspect is that one's Personal Legend must be followed in order to achieve their dream in life. Santiago had a dream of finding a treasure in the pyramids and this is his Personal Legend. Another view on the subject is that when one is hungry enough for one's dream the entire universe transpires to achieve it. For Santiago, the universe helped by transforming itself into the King of Salem. The king was able to convince Santiago into searching for his treasure. Some think that one's Personal Legend is known as a child and as one grows up they forget or take the simple path. The path to one's Personal Legend is usually very difficult and many people give up at one point. The king had pointed out a baker who had forgotten his dream in order to have a simple life. It can be very hard to achieve one's goal in life but it is always worth it. "Everything in life has a price." (page 25). The subject of Personal Legends can be understood differently depending on the
person.
"There must be a language that doesn't depend on words, the boy thought." (page 43).
This language is called the Language of the World. Different opinions are made for the topic of this universal language. One thought is that omens are left behind as clues for people to understand the language. When Santiago met the king he was told to decipher and be aware of all the omens. He was given two stones, named Urim and Thummin, which were meant to help him decide how to follow the omens. The boy decided to not use the stones so that the decisions he made were only his. Another comment is that one's heart uses the Language of the World in order to communicate. All one has to do is listen and one's heart will tell of all the world's secrets. The heart came from the Soul of the World and will one day return. One person felt that all things in the universe use this wordless language. Santiago was tested on how much he truly learned when he was forced to turn himself into the wind. He succeeded after speaking with the desert, the wind, the sun, and finally the Soul of God. Santiago used the Language of the World in order to find his
treasure.
In The Alchemist, a shepherd goes on a tiring journey to follow his Personal Legend. A Personal Legend is the most important thing to achieve in one's life. The universe helps one along the way by making a path of omens. One must understand these omens to know which way to continue their journey. The language of omens is called the Language of the World. Everything in the world uses this language. For example, the shepherd's sheep know where to find food and water no matter where they are. Santiago learned this language from the desert and his heart. All one has to do is listen and the universe will tell you all of its secrets. This language gets lost in all of the commotion of the world sometimes. "Because people became fascinated with pictures and words, and wind up forgetting the Language of the World." (page 87). Santiago learns and grows on his travels to the pyramids though the unforgiving desert. On his journey he meets a king, a crystal merchant, an Englishman, an alchemist, and the love of his life. Santiago's entire world changed when he met the king. He found his treasure and was able to return to Fatima, the love of his life. He found himself with the knowledge of Personal Legends and the Language of the World.