The Alchemist Outline
Mariam Ivanishvili English 2H
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
I. Major Characters
A. Santiago
1. A shepherd boy from an Andalusian town
2. Became a shepherd to travel and see different places
3. Curious, ambitious, and eager to see the world
4. Naturally adventurous
5. Has a recurring dream about uncovering treasure in Egypt
6. Sets off to pursue Personal Legend
7. focused on his growing understanding of the “ Soul of the World”
8. Learns to pay attention to the world around him
9. Recognizes nature as a single unified whole
10.Learns to read omens in nature
11. Ultimately learns to be one with the world B. The Alchemist 1. Alchemy practitioner who lives at the Al- Fayoum oasis …show more content…
2. Is a teacher/mentor to Santiago 3.Possesses magical powers 4. His wisdom allows Santiago to connect himself with the world 5. Guides Santiago on his own quest 6. Hands off method of teaching 7. Teaches Santiago to teach and transform himself by listening to his heart C. The Crystal Merchant 1. Serves as Santiago's friend 2. Gives him a job/commission 3. Functions as an example of someone whose given up his pursuit of his Personal Legend 4. Is afraid to pursue his dream of going to Mecca because he feels he will have nothing to live for after it is accomplished 5. Serves as an example of the dangers of an unfulfilled life
D. Melchizedek 1.King of Salem 2. Introduces key concepts to Santiago, such as Personal Legends, Beginner's Luck, etc 3.Gives Santiago two magical stones: Urim and Thummim which represent yes and no . 4.Motivates people to pursue their Personal Legends 5. Even when he is not present, the magical stones he gives Santiago help him to remain hopeful
E. The Englishman 1. Well educated and an aspiring alchemist 2. Joins a caravan in search of the alchemist 3. Anti- social 4. Prefers to read his books, rather than interact others 5. Teaches Santiago the value of book learning and introduces him to alchemy 6. Learns from Santiago the importance of experience 7. Focuses too much on books, thus hasn't reached personal development to become the alchemist's apprentice 8. Lesson: true wisdom comes from experience, not solely books 9. ““There is only one way to learn,” the alchemist answered. “It’s through action. Everything you need to know you have learned through your journey.”
F. Fatima 1. Willing to wait for Santiago while he pursuits his Personal Legend 2. says that as a woman of the desert she realizes that men must leave the women they love for long periods of time 3. Has confidence that Santiago will return
Has no Personal Legend of her own
“When we love, we always strive to become better than we are. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too. 6.“Love never keeps a man from pursuing his destiny.”
II. Themes A. Personal Legends 1. According to the Alchemist, Personal Legends are the only way one can reach satisfaction or fulfillment in their life. The novel states that the universe can only reach perfection if all things achieve their Personal Legends. Those that turn their back on their dreams, such as the crystal merchant, resort to living a life of regret and disappointment. The primary theme of The Alchemist is that all individuals should live in pursuit of their Personal Legends.
B. Nature/Universe 2. Throughout the novel, Santiago must learn to communicate with nature in order to reach his Personal Legend. This Santiago refers to as the “Language of the World”. When he needs to turn into the wind, Santiago employs the help of the desert, wind, and sun. As the alchemist tells Santiago, everything from a grain of sand to God himself share the same spiritual essence. As Coelho describes it, the Soul of the World unites us all - people, plants, rocks and elements. Moreover, the universe has created an ultimate personal legend for everyone, and to accomplish it, each thing must tap into the Soul of the World and become one with it. “When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”, the novel states.
C.Dreams 3. It is a dream that leads Santiago to pursue his destiny, and a dream that sends him back. The book argues that dreams are the language that the universe speaks. The theme of dreams is linked with the theme of fate, since dreams are the way in which people come to know their destiny. “It's the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.”
D. Fate/Maktub 4. Another fundamental theme of The Alchemist is that to reach happiness, one must live in harmony with what fate has per-ordained for them. When Melchizedek says, "When you want something, all the universe is conspiring to help you achieve it," he means that since it is fate that puts a desire in Santiago's heart, fate won't stop him from achieving it. Furthermore, “maktub” is explained by the crystal merchant as “ it is written”. Santiago refers to this phrase often, reminding himself that his actions are that of fate, and fate always helps those in pursuit of their personal legends. “To realize one's destiny is a person's only obligation”. a. “People are afraid to pursue their most important dreams, because they feel that they don’t deserve them, or that they’ll be unable to achieve them.”
E. Omens Omens help Santiago on his journey and reassure him that the Soul of the World is with him. Omens a part of the “ Common Language of the World” . If Santiago learns this language, he can always find the meaning in the world around him. For example, when the stones Urim and Thummim drop from Santiago’s pocket, Santiago chooses to consider the event an omen. Omens are a sign to Santiago that the universe is conspiring with him. Omens also show the progress of Santiago's journey. The omens that Santiago experiences grow from being small and minor, to important visions that affect many lives, such as the vision of the hawks. Since his omens become more significant, this demonstrates the fact that Santiago is getting closer to his personal legend.
F. Obstacles A. Fear Santiago is accustomed to his sheep-hearding life, and is at times hesitant about continuing onwards with his journey.
In Tangier,, Santiago fears losing the money he earned with the crystal merchant. In the oasis, Santiago fears losing Fatima. Fear acts as a huge obstacle to achieving one's Personal Legend. Santiago often experiences fear, and feels tempted to abandon his quest to avoid losing what he already earned. On his way to Egypt, the camel driver tells Santiago “We are afraid of losing what we have, whether it’s our life or our possessions or our property. But this fear evaporates when we understand that our life stories and the history of the world were written by the same hand.”
B. Love Santiago is afraid of hurting Fatima and by abandoning her in order to pursue his dream. However he soon realizes that Fatima will wait for him. “ "Love never keeps a man from pursuing his personal legend. If he abandons that pursuit, it's because it wasn't true love”, Coehlo writes.
III. Plot: The Alchemist is a story about a young shepherd, Santiago, who goes on a quest to find treasure in the pyramids of Egypt. Along the way he learns to listen to his heart and be one with the world around him. He is able to focus on his dreams, or Personal Legend, and soon learns that it is not just his but part of the Soul of the
Universe. In the beginning, Santiago does not want much from life. He is content with roaming various cities, taking care of his sheep, and having the occasional sip of wine. However, once a recurring dream starts troubling him, he goes to a local gypsy. The gypsy tells him the same thing the dreams did. He later meets Melchizedek, a man claiming to be the King of Salem. Melchizedek encourages Santiago to seek his treasure, and introduces concepts such as personal legends and the universe. After embarking on his trip to Africa, Santiago runs into some obstacles. He is robbed on his first day, and left completely alone. Not being able to speak the language, Santiago contemplates turning back and returning to his old life. However, the words of the old king keep him going. He gets a job at a crystal shop, and with the commission earned hopes to buy more sheep and return home. Once again, he is afraid to pursue his dreams. However, at the last minute he risks it all and joins a caravan. On the way to Egypt, Santiago befriends an Englishman, who is on his own journey to find the alchemist. The Englishman introduces Santiago to the concept of alchemy, and advises him to read more books. The Englishman also talks about the same ideas as Melchizek, mainly that there is a Soul of the World and all things are connected. “No matter what he does, every person on earth plays a central role in the history of the world. And normally he doesn't know it.”, the alchemist later reinforces. While the Englishmen prefers to do his learning through his complex books, Santiago chooses to do so by observing the world and interacting with others. When the caravan arrive sat the Al-Fayoum oasis, Santiago meets Fatima, with who he immediately falls in love. He discovers that love, like the Personal Legend, comes directly from the Soul of the World. It is here when Fatima tells him “ One is loved because one is loved. No reason is needed for loving.” While walking in the desert, Santiago has a vision of an upcoming battle. He rushes back to warn the elders at the oasis and, when his vision is confirmed, they offer him a position as a counselor. Santiago considers staying at the oasis with Fatima, but the Alchemist finds Santiago and tells him that they should leave. On the move, the Alchemist teaches Santiago to listen to his heart. “Hearts can be treacherous, but the best way to keep them from fooling you is to listen to them intently”, the alchemist shares. Almost to the pyramids, Santiago and the Alchemist are taken prisoner by a warring tribe. The Alchemist tells the tribesmen that Santiago is a powerful magician who can turn himself into the wind. The tribesmen are impressed and will spare the lives of the men if Santiago can do it. Shocked and terrified, Santiago knows he can do no such thing. Given three days to accomplish this task, Santiago spends them meditating. On the third day, he asks for help from the Sun, wind, desert, and the hand that wrote it all. After learning to be one with the world, the elements help him “become the wind”, After being released by the tribe, Santiago continues on his journey to the pyramids, without the alchemist to guide him. However, he is robbed shortly after arriving there. Santiago tells the robbers that he had a dream of a treasure being buried by the Pyramids. The robber laughs at him, and tells him he had the same dream, which turns out to be the inverse. In the robber's dream, the treasure was hidden in Spain under a sycamore tree. Santiago realizes the treasure was back in Spain the entire time.
Back in Spain, Santiago finds the treasure under the tree where he had the initial dream.
In conclusion, the “treasure” he was initially seeking ended up being him realizing his personal legend, and learning to listen intently to his heart, as well as communicating and being one with the universe.
IV. Symbolism A. Alchemy
Alchemy is an important symbol in the novel because it represents Santiago's journey. The process of turning a base metal into gold equals the base metal realizing its Personal Legend. The metal and Santiago both have to rid themselves of impurities before realizing their ultimate state. Additionally, the way a person learns alchemy is similar to the way a person realizes their Personal Legend. Many complicated books have been written about alchemy, when really all the secrets of alchemy exist on a small tablet, consisting of just a few lines. These lines cannot be expressed in words. Likewise, no written instructions can guide a person to his Personal Legend. The person must follow his own instincts and the omens provided by the Soul of the World. Furthermore, man complicates the practice of alchemy just as man complicates his way of life.
B. The Desert 2. The desert serves as another prominent symbol in the novel because it represents the difficulties and obstacles one must face in pursuit of their Personal Legend. Tests are a crucial and necessary part of everyone's journey, and Santiago must face them because they are create spiritual growth. It is in the desert that Santiago begins to understand his environment, and to see signs of life.
V. Lessons Learned from The Alchemist: 1. We know what we wanted when we were young, but when we get older we lose track of our personal legend and forget to listen to our hearts.
“It is is what you have always wanted to accomplish. Everyone, when they are young, knows what their destiny is. At that point in their lives, everything is clear and everything is possible. They are not afraid to dream, and to yearn for everything they would like to see happen to them in their lives. But, as time passes, a mysterious force begins to convince them that it will be impossible for them to realize their destiny.” Pursue your dreams, the universe will help you “Whoever you are, or whatever it is that you do, when you really want something, it’s because that desire originated in the soul of the universe. It’s your mission on earth. And when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.
Don't be afraid to fall
`“Only one thing makes a dream impossible: the fear of failure.
Never lose Control “What’s the world’s greatest lie?” the boy asked, completely surprised. “It’s this: that at a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what’s happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate. That’s the world’s greatest lie.””
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
I. Major Characters
A. Santiago
1. A shepherd boy from an Andalusian town
2. Became a shepherd to travel and see different places
3. Curious, ambitious, and eager to see the world
4. Naturally adventurous
5. Has a recurring dream about uncovering treasure in Egypt
6. Sets off to pursue Personal Legend
7. focused on his growing understanding of the “ Soul of the World”
8. Learns to pay attention to the world around him
9. Recognizes nature as a single unified whole
10.Learns to read omens in nature
11. Ultimately learns to be one with the world B. The Alchemist 1. Alchemy practitioner who lives at the Al- Fayoum oasis …show more content…
2. Is a teacher/mentor to Santiago 3.Possesses magical powers 4. His wisdom allows Santiago to connect himself with the world 5. Guides Santiago on his own quest 6. Hands off method of teaching 7. Teaches Santiago to teach and transform himself by listening to his heart C. The Crystal Merchant 1. Serves as Santiago's friend 2. Gives him a job/commission 3. Functions as an example of someone whose given up his pursuit of his Personal Legend 4. Is afraid to pursue his dream of going to Mecca because he feels he will have nothing to live for after it is accomplished 5. Serves as an example of the dangers of an unfulfilled life
D. Melchizedek 1.King of Salem 2. Introduces key concepts to Santiago, such as Personal Legends, Beginner's Luck, etc 3.Gives Santiago two magical stones: Urim and Thummim which represent yes and no . 4.Motivates people to pursue their Personal Legends 5. Even when he is not present, the magical stones he gives Santiago help him to remain hopeful
E. The Englishman 1. Well educated and an aspiring alchemist 2. Joins a caravan in search of the alchemist 3. Anti- social 4. Prefers to read his books, rather than interact others 5. Teaches Santiago the value of book learning and introduces him to alchemy 6. Learns from Santiago the importance of experience 7. Focuses too much on books, thus hasn't reached personal development to become the alchemist's apprentice 8. Lesson: true wisdom comes from experience, not solely books 9. ““There is only one way to learn,” the alchemist answered. “It’s through action. Everything you need to know you have learned through your journey.”
F. Fatima 1. Willing to wait for Santiago while he pursuits his Personal Legend 2. says that as a woman of the desert she realizes that men must leave the women they love for long periods of time 3. Has confidence that Santiago will return
Has no Personal Legend of her own
“When we love, we always strive to become better than we are. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too. 6.“Love never keeps a man from pursuing his destiny.”
II. Themes A. Personal Legends 1. According to the Alchemist, Personal Legends are the only way one can reach satisfaction or fulfillment in their life. The novel states that the universe can only reach perfection if all things achieve their Personal Legends. Those that turn their back on their dreams, such as the crystal merchant, resort to living a life of regret and disappointment. The primary theme of The Alchemist is that all individuals should live in pursuit of their Personal Legends.
B. Nature/Universe 2. Throughout the novel, Santiago must learn to communicate with nature in order to reach his Personal Legend. This Santiago refers to as the “Language of the World”. When he needs to turn into the wind, Santiago employs the help of the desert, wind, and sun. As the alchemist tells Santiago, everything from a grain of sand to God himself share the same spiritual essence. As Coelho describes it, the Soul of the World unites us all - people, plants, rocks and elements. Moreover, the universe has created an ultimate personal legend for everyone, and to accomplish it, each thing must tap into the Soul of the World and become one with it. “When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”, the novel states.
C.Dreams 3. It is a dream that leads Santiago to pursue his destiny, and a dream that sends him back. The book argues that dreams are the language that the universe speaks. The theme of dreams is linked with the theme of fate, since dreams are the way in which people come to know their destiny. “It's the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.”
D. Fate/Maktub 4. Another fundamental theme of The Alchemist is that to reach happiness, one must live in harmony with what fate has per-ordained for them. When Melchizedek says, "When you want something, all the universe is conspiring to help you achieve it," he means that since it is fate that puts a desire in Santiago's heart, fate won't stop him from achieving it. Furthermore, “maktub” is explained by the crystal merchant as “ it is written”. Santiago refers to this phrase often, reminding himself that his actions are that of fate, and fate always helps those in pursuit of their personal legends. “To realize one's destiny is a person's only obligation”. a. “People are afraid to pursue their most important dreams, because they feel that they don’t deserve them, or that they’ll be unable to achieve them.”
E. Omens Omens help Santiago on his journey and reassure him that the Soul of the World is with him. Omens a part of the “ Common Language of the World” . If Santiago learns this language, he can always find the meaning in the world around him. For example, when the stones Urim and Thummim drop from Santiago’s pocket, Santiago chooses to consider the event an omen. Omens are a sign to Santiago that the universe is conspiring with him. Omens also show the progress of Santiago's journey. The omens that Santiago experiences grow from being small and minor, to important visions that affect many lives, such as the vision of the hawks. Since his omens become more significant, this demonstrates the fact that Santiago is getting closer to his personal legend.
F. Obstacles A. Fear Santiago is accustomed to his sheep-hearding life, and is at times hesitant about continuing onwards with his journey.
In Tangier,, Santiago fears losing the money he earned with the crystal merchant. In the oasis, Santiago fears losing Fatima. Fear acts as a huge obstacle to achieving one's Personal Legend. Santiago often experiences fear, and feels tempted to abandon his quest to avoid losing what he already earned. On his way to Egypt, the camel driver tells Santiago “We are afraid of losing what we have, whether it’s our life or our possessions or our property. But this fear evaporates when we understand that our life stories and the history of the world were written by the same hand.”
B. Love Santiago is afraid of hurting Fatima and by abandoning her in order to pursue his dream. However he soon realizes that Fatima will wait for him. “ "Love never keeps a man from pursuing his personal legend. If he abandons that pursuit, it's because it wasn't true love”, Coehlo writes.
III. Plot: The Alchemist is a story about a young shepherd, Santiago, who goes on a quest to find treasure in the pyramids of Egypt. Along the way he learns to listen to his heart and be one with the world around him. He is able to focus on his dreams, or Personal Legend, and soon learns that it is not just his but part of the Soul of the
Universe. In the beginning, Santiago does not want much from life. He is content with roaming various cities, taking care of his sheep, and having the occasional sip of wine. However, once a recurring dream starts troubling him, he goes to a local gypsy. The gypsy tells him the same thing the dreams did. He later meets Melchizedek, a man claiming to be the King of Salem. Melchizedek encourages Santiago to seek his treasure, and introduces concepts such as personal legends and the universe. After embarking on his trip to Africa, Santiago runs into some obstacles. He is robbed on his first day, and left completely alone. Not being able to speak the language, Santiago contemplates turning back and returning to his old life. However, the words of the old king keep him going. He gets a job at a crystal shop, and with the commission earned hopes to buy more sheep and return home. Once again, he is afraid to pursue his dreams. However, at the last minute he risks it all and joins a caravan. On the way to Egypt, Santiago befriends an Englishman, who is on his own journey to find the alchemist. The Englishman introduces Santiago to the concept of alchemy, and advises him to read more books. The Englishman also talks about the same ideas as Melchizek, mainly that there is a Soul of the World and all things are connected. “No matter what he does, every person on earth plays a central role in the history of the world. And normally he doesn't know it.”, the alchemist later reinforces. While the Englishmen prefers to do his learning through his complex books, Santiago chooses to do so by observing the world and interacting with others. When the caravan arrive sat the Al-Fayoum oasis, Santiago meets Fatima, with who he immediately falls in love. He discovers that love, like the Personal Legend, comes directly from the Soul of the World. It is here when Fatima tells him “ One is loved because one is loved. No reason is needed for loving.” While walking in the desert, Santiago has a vision of an upcoming battle. He rushes back to warn the elders at the oasis and, when his vision is confirmed, they offer him a position as a counselor. Santiago considers staying at the oasis with Fatima, but the Alchemist finds Santiago and tells him that they should leave. On the move, the Alchemist teaches Santiago to listen to his heart. “Hearts can be treacherous, but the best way to keep them from fooling you is to listen to them intently”, the alchemist shares. Almost to the pyramids, Santiago and the Alchemist are taken prisoner by a warring tribe. The Alchemist tells the tribesmen that Santiago is a powerful magician who can turn himself into the wind. The tribesmen are impressed and will spare the lives of the men if Santiago can do it. Shocked and terrified, Santiago knows he can do no such thing. Given three days to accomplish this task, Santiago spends them meditating. On the third day, he asks for help from the Sun, wind, desert, and the hand that wrote it all. After learning to be one with the world, the elements help him “become the wind”, After being released by the tribe, Santiago continues on his journey to the pyramids, without the alchemist to guide him. However, he is robbed shortly after arriving there. Santiago tells the robbers that he had a dream of a treasure being buried by the Pyramids. The robber laughs at him, and tells him he had the same dream, which turns out to be the inverse. In the robber's dream, the treasure was hidden in Spain under a sycamore tree. Santiago realizes the treasure was back in Spain the entire time.
Back in Spain, Santiago finds the treasure under the tree where he had the initial dream.
In conclusion, the “treasure” he was initially seeking ended up being him realizing his personal legend, and learning to listen intently to his heart, as well as communicating and being one with the universe.
IV. Symbolism A. Alchemy
Alchemy is an important symbol in the novel because it represents Santiago's journey. The process of turning a base metal into gold equals the base metal realizing its Personal Legend. The metal and Santiago both have to rid themselves of impurities before realizing their ultimate state. Additionally, the way a person learns alchemy is similar to the way a person realizes their Personal Legend. Many complicated books have been written about alchemy, when really all the secrets of alchemy exist on a small tablet, consisting of just a few lines. These lines cannot be expressed in words. Likewise, no written instructions can guide a person to his Personal Legend. The person must follow his own instincts and the omens provided by the Soul of the World. Furthermore, man complicates the practice of alchemy just as man complicates his way of life.
B. The Desert 2. The desert serves as another prominent symbol in the novel because it represents the difficulties and obstacles one must face in pursuit of their Personal Legend. Tests are a crucial and necessary part of everyone's journey, and Santiago must face them because they are create spiritual growth. It is in the desert that Santiago begins to understand his environment, and to see signs of life.
V. Lessons Learned from The Alchemist: 1. We know what we wanted when we were young, but when we get older we lose track of our personal legend and forget to listen to our hearts.
“It is is what you have always wanted to accomplish. Everyone, when they are young, knows what their destiny is. At that point in their lives, everything is clear and everything is possible. They are not afraid to dream, and to yearn for everything they would like to see happen to them in their lives. But, as time passes, a mysterious force begins to convince them that it will be impossible for them to realize their destiny.” Pursue your dreams, the universe will help you “Whoever you are, or whatever it is that you do, when you really want something, it’s because that desire originated in the soul of the universe. It’s your mission on earth. And when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.
Don't be afraid to fall
`“Only one thing makes a dream impossible: the fear of failure.
Never lose Control “What’s the world’s greatest lie?” the boy asked, completely surprised. “It’s this: that at a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what’s happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate. That’s the world’s greatest lie.””