When one thinks about fear, the automatic train of thought is jump to what scares us so much that we choose to avoid it. Realistically, fear is so much more than that. Fear can unconsciously be a driving force in our life that holds us back from achieving goals. Paulo Coelho demonstrates this concept of fear through the way that he develops his characters in The Alchemist. Santiago is a young man who has created a dream that seems to be so far out of his reach. Due to the complexity of his goal, Santiago creates barriers of fear that cause him to underestimate his ability to accomplish his goal. After having his dreams interpreted, Santiago is upset and claims that, "he would never again believe in dreams" (Coelho, 15). In the depths of his
