Fear in Fiction and Today
Paul Coelho’s story, The Alchemist, follows a boy named Santiago, the main character of the story, who is living the life of a shepherd as he travels with his herd of loyal sheep. Santiago’s parents had wanted him to become a priest, but that was not Santiago’s dream. Instead, he hoped to one-day travel and broaden his view of the world; however, since traveling cost more than he could afford, he became a shepherd, a career that included traveling. Coelho weaves a story of how Santiago pursues his dream to travel the world and meets others who also have a dream of their own. Although there are many themes that are intertwined throughout The Alchemist, a theme that can still be found in life today, is fear. The Merriam-Webster …show more content…
The first significant time that the word ‘fear’ is used is when Santiago meets with a Gypsy woman. While Santiago is carrying his daily shepherd duties, he has an evil thought about his sheep. The thought reminds him of the occurring dream that he keeps having, that is later explained in detail, and he assumes that the old church that he sometimes sleeps in, may be the cause. Santiago thought about his dream, and the possibility that it may come true and “make[s] life interesting (Coelho, 4) .” He remembers that there is an old woman who is said to be able to interpret dreams and this is where the fear within Santiago’s heart makes itself known. The reader learns that since Santiago was a child, he has feared that “he would be captured by Gypsies (Coelho 4).” When the Gypsy takes his hands in hers, “[h]is hands began to tremble,” as Santiago becomes more and more nervous (Coelho 5). Santiago’s fear of being captured by Gypsies could be described as a phobia. The United States National Library of Medicine (U.S NLM) describes a phobia as, “…a type of anxiety disorder. It is a strong, irrational fear of something that poses little or no real danger (“Phobias: MedlinePlus”).” In 2013, PsychCentral.com reported that four to five percent of the United States’ residents suffer from one or more phobias in a given year (“Facts About Phobias”). In 2014, The Motley Fool reported that the most common phobia was the fear of …show more content…
Anxiety itself is defined as “…a normal reaction to stress…” that “...can alert us to dangers and help us prepare and pay attention” (“What Are Anxiety Disorders”). However, an anxiety disorder is different. According to the American Psychiatric Association, an anxiety disorder is more than just feeling anxious, but “…involve[s] excessive fear or anxiety (“What Are Anxiety Disorders”).” Anxiety can cause panic attacks, prevent one from properly functioning, interrupt one’s daily schedule, and even control one’s life (“What Are Anxiety Disorders”). In The Alchemist, Santiago meets a crystal merchant in Tangier, who has anxiety and wakes up to “…the same anxiety that he felt every morning (Coelho 18).” The crystal merchant’s shop no longer receives the business that it used to, which makes him anxious, but in addition, he has a dream that fear has hindered him from pursuing. Santiago learns that since the crystal merchant is a Muslim, he is obliged to visit Mecca at least once and he has always dreamed of it (Coelho 21). However, when Santiago asks him why he has yet to visit Mecca, the crystal merchant tells him that “…it 's the thought of Mecca that keeps me alive…” and that he fears that “…if my dream is realized, I 'll have no reason to go on living (Coelho 22).” The crystal merchant’s fear has shackled him to his crystal shop because he fears lacking a sense of
Paul Coelho’s story, The Alchemist, follows a boy named Santiago, the main character of the story, who is living the life of a shepherd as he travels with his herd of loyal sheep. Santiago’s parents had wanted him to become a priest, but that was not Santiago’s dream. Instead, he hoped to one-day travel and broaden his view of the world; however, since traveling cost more than he could afford, he became a shepherd, a career that included traveling. Coelho weaves a story of how Santiago pursues his dream to travel the world and meets others who also have a dream of their own. Although there are many themes that are intertwined throughout The Alchemist, a theme that can still be found in life today, is fear. The Merriam-Webster …show more content…
The first significant time that the word ‘fear’ is used is when Santiago meets with a Gypsy woman. While Santiago is carrying his daily shepherd duties, he has an evil thought about his sheep. The thought reminds him of the occurring dream that he keeps having, that is later explained in detail, and he assumes that the old church that he sometimes sleeps in, may be the cause. Santiago thought about his dream, and the possibility that it may come true and “make[s] life interesting (Coelho, 4) .” He remembers that there is an old woman who is said to be able to interpret dreams and this is where the fear within Santiago’s heart makes itself known. The reader learns that since Santiago was a child, he has feared that “he would be captured by Gypsies (Coelho 4).” When the Gypsy takes his hands in hers, “[h]is hands began to tremble,” as Santiago becomes more and more nervous (Coelho 5). Santiago’s fear of being captured by Gypsies could be described as a phobia. The United States National Library of Medicine (U.S NLM) describes a phobia as, “…a type of anxiety disorder. It is a strong, irrational fear of something that poses little or no real danger (“Phobias: MedlinePlus”).” In 2013, PsychCentral.com reported that four to five percent of the United States’ residents suffer from one or more phobias in a given year (“Facts About Phobias”). In 2014, The Motley Fool reported that the most common phobia was the fear of …show more content…
Anxiety itself is defined as “…a normal reaction to stress…” that “...can alert us to dangers and help us prepare and pay attention” (“What Are Anxiety Disorders”). However, an anxiety disorder is different. According to the American Psychiatric Association, an anxiety disorder is more than just feeling anxious, but “…involve[s] excessive fear or anxiety (“What Are Anxiety Disorders”).” Anxiety can cause panic attacks, prevent one from properly functioning, interrupt one’s daily schedule, and even control one’s life (“What Are Anxiety Disorders”). In The Alchemist, Santiago meets a crystal merchant in Tangier, who has anxiety and wakes up to “…the same anxiety that he felt every morning (Coelho 18).” The crystal merchant’s shop no longer receives the business that it used to, which makes him anxious, but in addition, he has a dream that fear has hindered him from pursuing. Santiago learns that since the crystal merchant is a Muslim, he is obliged to visit Mecca at least once and he has always dreamed of it (Coelho 21). However, when Santiago asks him why he has yet to visit Mecca, the crystal merchant tells him that “…it 's the thought of Mecca that keeps me alive…” and that he fears that “…if my dream is realized, I 'll have no reason to go on living (Coelho 22).” The crystal merchant’s fear has shackled him to his crystal shop because he fears lacking a sense of