Arthur Gordon creates an ironic twist at the end of “The Alchemist’s Secret” by making the setting and mood of the story a complete opposite from the ending. The setting of the story is innocent enough, with a “little herb shop” on a “crooked street in the shadow of Notre Dame”. The words “gaslit shop” connotate an old fashioned (or, in the case of this story, just old) and cozy room. It is shocking to the reader when it is uncovered that the store is where the Doctor arranges to kill people for a living. Once the reader becomes accustomed to that idea, the visitor is viewed as a cold, cruel person. Although initially he is nervous, (“said the visitor nervously”, glanced around uneasily”) he is found to be ruthless. “The visitor’s face was…
I thought it was extremely peculiar that Santiago had the same dream exactly one year apart. Not only did he have the same dream, but Santiago woke up at the same moment during both of the dreams. I think the author might be using the literary device of foreshadowing. Perhaps, there actually is a treasure hidden at the Egyptian pyramids, and the boy has to travel to find it. (69 words).…
1) The quester: Santiago, a young shepherd, who is determined, curious, and insightful, and wants to bring riches back to his family to justify his decision of becoming a shepherd over a priest.…
The areas of law applicable to the factual scenario falls under remedies, if a party breaches a contract, the other is entitled to monetary damages. The purpose of damages is to put the plaintiff in the position it would have been in had the contract been performed. The courts have a method they have developed to determine the appropriate monetary damages in contract cases. The principle of law that is most appropriate for the factual scenario is referred to as expectation damages. Expectation damages give the plaintiff the benefit of its bargain, putting the plaintiff in the cash position they would have been in as if the contract had been complete. The general formula for expectation damages is Expectation Damages = Compensatory Damages + Consequential Damages +…
From listening to their dreams, Santiago and Siddhartha realize their Personal Legends and embark on their journeys to pursue enlightenment. Both characters need experience to help them understand what they desire from life. In the town Tarifa, Santiago is intrigued because in his dream “[a] child [takes] [him] by both hands, [ ] transports [him] to the Egyptian pyramids” and tells him that he will find treasure near the location (Coelho 13). Therefore, Santiago craves to know if his dream is significant. Without this dream, Santiago would not be able to go to the gypsy who tells him he must go to the Pyramids in Egypt to find a treasure that will make him rich. Santiago “[has] the same dream that night, a…
The theme of the book, the Alchemist, is to pursue your personal legend above all things. Paul Coleho makes it very clear that any one can achieve personal greatness by using a shepherd. Their are many reasons why you should follow your personal legend. Not only could you benefit from it, other lives you encounter on your journey maybe changed. You may have to post pone your journey to find the funds to complete you journey.…
One of the main themes the Alchemist talks about is that every individual has a personal legend, which is a purpose or destiny that calls to them. Santiago's journey symbolizes this with his universal quest for meaning in his…
The Alchemist. A book about a boy's quest for hidden treasure, seeing new places, meeting new people. It has become a worldwide hit, selling millions of copies since it's publication in 1988. It's received many awards and has drawn scores of scholars and casual readers alike. This book has received raving reviews and stinging critics. Why the divided response to this book? People vastly argue over the meaning the author was trying to convey.…
Santiago has a reoccurring dream of him going to a field and from there being brought to the Egyptian pyramids. When he meets the King of Salem, Melchizedek, Santiago tells him about his dream and the King tells him that going to the pyramids is his Personal Legend. The King also says to Santiago, “To realize one's destiny is a person's only real obligation” (Coelho 22). To follow his Personal Legend, Santiago must give in order to receive. He must give one sixth of this sheep to the gypsy and also one sixth to the King. Once he has given that, he must sell the rest of his flock to obtain enough money to get to Egypt. Foster says that “The real reason for a quest never involves the stated reason” (3) and for this Santiago is not aware that going to Egypt is an actual quest. The King comes to help Santiago realize where he is to go, “You are trying to realize your Personal Legend, and you are at a point where you are about to give it all up” (Coelho 23). Typically when something in life does not go your way, we give up and do not want to continue trying. Santiago starts to feel the urge to give up early on, however he begins to work hard to overcome these feelings “More…
2. Santiago, the main character in the book, and is characterized as an out going Shepard in a city near an ancient castle in Andalusia. Santiago, a boy, is unshakeable, creative, and has no interest in money or wealth, but wants to succeed in the dreams he most cares about. He is also a character that learns fast and no matter the challenges he faces he never gives up. For example, the owner of the store that Santiago worked in even said, "The boy's very presence in the shop was an omen, and, as time passed and money was pouring into the cash drawer, he had no regrets about having hired the boy." (79). Through Santiago's mentally quick and motivational ways, he can achieve any challenge given to him.…
America went through hard times before like bank panics and depression in the early 1820s, 1830s, the mid-1870s, and the early and mid-1890s. But never it never suffered an economic illness so deep and so long as the Great Depression of the 1930s. The stock market crash, farm failures and bank failures caused people to go into a hard crisis of poverty causing the Great Depression. In order to solve this depression the President Hoover issued policies that would impact or change the course of the american economy. Some of those policies are the Boulder Dam, and the Reconstruction Finance Corporation.…
This scene provides an idea of the problem (first obstacle) that Santiago will have to overcome through the book. The scene suggest what Santiago have to do in order to find that treasure – not every step, or every aspect of the procedures but a hit of what he should go –Then with this information, the reader realize that Santiago must cross the desert to reach the pyramids, that he must acquire some money to arrive to Egypt. A foreshadowing event not only tells the reader what a character might do to accomplish ‘’that’’, but with what he might struggle and what the character mush overcome.…
The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho, consists of numerous pieces of advice dealing with universal wisdom. In this novel, Santiago, a shepherd boy, learns and matures on the journey to find his Personal Legend, his life's ultimate accomplishment. He faces many difficult decisions along the way but once he begins to listen to his heart he found love, treasure, and the ability to turn into wind. Like Santiago, a reader can grow to feel more knowledgeable from the words of Coelho because his advice can be accepted and appreciated by all people. The Alchemist expresses beliefs that easily relate to people around the world since at one point or another we all suffer from confusion about our hearts. Coelho beautifully constructed a novel that contains…
The Alchemist is correct in saying that suffering must figure into the attainment of our dreams. Suffering helps people get stronger emotionally and mentally. The Alchemist states, “master the lessons we’ve learned as we’ve moved toward the dream” (pg 132). Once people master theses lessons learned from suffering, people can use them to get ahead. Suffering can also be seen as a test for a person. The Alchemist knows that those who want something will strive through any kind of extreme suffering to achieve their dreams. For example, I have gone through suffering myself to get through life itself and to also accomplish my goals. I suffer when I work long nights to get schoolwork finished on time. A type of suffering that I also experience is…
Throughout The Alchemist, readers see a clear view of how they are to discover the meaning of life. The first is by discovering their personal legend. People are supposed to go out and seek their life’s destiny. The second is by defeating fear. There is nothing to fear but fear itself. We shouldn’t worry about the past or future. In fact, we should be focusing on the present. When we take the focus off of our fears we begin to focus on the present and realize what we’ve been missing. Paulo Coelho portrays two main themes throughout The Alchemist: pursue your personal legend and dangers come when you fear.…