The Alchemist: Words of Wisdom Essay ; Grade Nine
Words of Wisdom
The Alchemist
Words of Wisdom Words can have a significant impact in one’s life; it can serve as the greatest happiness or one’s greatest burden. In the novel The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho, words of wisdom act as a comforting force that gives admonition to those in need of it. “The hand that wrote it all,” illustrates a mysterious force that compels Santiago to follow his dreams and pursue his greatest happiness; to travel without limits. Furthermore, the importance of maintaining balance allows Santiago to take notice of the world and acknowledge all of its omens. The eminence of trusting the heart’s wishes, and having the courage to follow those dreams and act upon it, takes a grand toll as one of the most heartfelt passages within Santiago’s journey. As Santiago makes his way to his Personal Legend, words of wisdom inspires him to follow his dreams, listen to his heart and take notice of all the little things in life to maintain balance in all that he does. Maktub is a simple yet memorable phrase that has contributed to Santiago’s pursuit of his Personal Legend. It is a simple phrase that allows Santiago to understand that everyone is created by the same hand and that there is a universal language that could be understood without the need for words. Maktub evokes a theory that God has a plan for all living things; that everything happens for a specific reason. Often “we are afraid of losing what we have, whether it‘s our life or our possessions and property. But this fear evaporates when we understand that our life stories and the histories of the world were written by the same hand” (Coelho 78). It becomes evident that with the presence of God in Santiago’s life, he is comforted with the knowledge that despite the suffering, God will not abandon him. He begins to understand that “all things are one” (Coelho 46) and somehow, all souls are intertwined and connected in a way that is unimaginable or that cannot be explained. A prominent
The Alchemist
Words of Wisdom Words can have a significant impact in one’s life; it can serve as the greatest happiness or one’s greatest burden. In the novel The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho, words of wisdom act as a comforting force that gives admonition to those in need of it. “The hand that wrote it all,” illustrates a mysterious force that compels Santiago to follow his dreams and pursue his greatest happiness; to travel without limits. Furthermore, the importance of maintaining balance allows Santiago to take notice of the world and acknowledge all of its omens. The eminence of trusting the heart’s wishes, and having the courage to follow those dreams and act upon it, takes a grand toll as one of the most heartfelt passages within Santiago’s journey. As Santiago makes his way to his Personal Legend, words of wisdom inspires him to follow his dreams, listen to his heart and take notice of all the little things in life to maintain balance in all that he does. Maktub is a simple yet memorable phrase that has contributed to Santiago’s pursuit of his Personal Legend. It is a simple phrase that allows Santiago to understand that everyone is created by the same hand and that there is a universal language that could be understood without the need for words. Maktub evokes a theory that God has a plan for all living things; that everything happens for a specific reason. Often “we are afraid of losing what we have, whether it‘s our life or our possessions and property. But this fear evaporates when we understand that our life stories and the histories of the world were written by the same hand” (Coelho 78). It becomes evident that with the presence of God in Santiago’s life, he is comforted with the knowledge that despite the suffering, God will not abandon him. He begins to understand that “all things are one” (Coelho 46) and somehow, all souls are intertwined and connected in a way that is unimaginable or that cannot be explained. A prominent
Cited: Coelho, Paulo. The Alchemist. New York: Harper Collins, 1998.