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The Alchemist Reflection Questions
1) What is the significance of Santiago becoming a shepherd rather than a priest, as his parents had hoped? Why has he made this choice? What does being a shepherd allow him to do?
Santiago becoming a shepherd rather than a priest as his parents had hoped is extremely significant to the plot of this book. If Santiago never became a priest, he never would have been able to fulfill his Personal Legend. The boy made this choice because “…I [he would] like to see the castles in the towns where they [other travelers] live…” (pg. 9) Santiago wants to explore the world and see all the wonderful, beautiful things he can possibly see. Staying in a stationary town won’t allow him to see new things; he has to become a shepherd to travel.
2) The novel begins with the boy deciding to spend the night with his flock in an abandoned church. The church has no roof and an enormous sycamore tree has grown up where the sacristy once stood. Explain the symbolism.
A house with no roof could symbolize not having any protection from outside forces/elements. This might suggest that Santiago needs to better protect himself from outside influences, including foolish ideas that may soon bring themselves upon him. The sycamore tree could symbolize eternity and strength since sycamore trees can survive for up to around 600 years. Alchemists also live for a very long time. “The church, with the sycamore growing from within…” (pg. 7) means through discovering all his inner strength in his journey to come, Santiago will realize new things and be able to better protect himself from the world.
3) King Mechizedek tells the boy that when we are children, "everything is clear and everything is possible," but as time passes mysterious forces convince us to abandon our dreams (p. 23). Do you think this is true? What are the "mysterious forces" that threaten to hold us back as we grow older?
I think the statement that when we are children
1) What is the significance of Santiago becoming a shepherd rather than a priest, as his parents had hoped? Why has he made this choice? What does being a shepherd allow him to do?
Santiago becoming a shepherd rather than a priest as his parents had hoped is extremely significant to the plot of this book. If Santiago never became a priest, he never would have been able to fulfill his Personal Legend. The boy made this choice because “…I [he would] like to see the castles in the towns where they [other travelers] live…” (pg. 9) Santiago wants to explore the world and see all the wonderful, beautiful things he can possibly see. Staying in a stationary town won’t allow him to see new things; he has to become a shepherd to travel.
2) The novel begins with the boy deciding to spend the night with his flock in an abandoned church. The church has no roof and an enormous sycamore tree has grown up where the sacristy once stood. Explain the symbolism.
A house with no roof could symbolize not having any protection from outside forces/elements. This might suggest that Santiago needs to better protect himself from outside influences, including foolish ideas that may soon bring themselves upon him. The sycamore tree could symbolize eternity and strength since sycamore trees can survive for up to around 600 years. Alchemists also live for a very long time. “The church, with the sycamore growing from within…” (pg. 7) means through discovering all his inner strength in his journey to come, Santiago will realize new things and be able to better protect himself from the world.
3) King Mechizedek tells the boy that when we are children, "everything is clear and everything is possible," but as time passes mysterious forces convince us to abandon our dreams (p. 23). Do you think this is true? What are the "mysterious forces" that threaten to hold us back as we grow older?
I think the statement that when we are children