In works of literature and Magical Realism, the hero is often the main protagonist. In many novels, the protagonist is oblivious to the fact that they are a hero; they often believe that they are ordinary people in an ordinary world. In “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho, Santiago is oblivious to the fact that he is a hero because he doesn’t fit the ‘Hero Criteria’, he isn’t idolize by the community or hasn’t made any drastic change in his life - he is a shepherd with no aspirations or dreams for change. However, this all changes when Santiago is faced with a recurring dream, he has no choice, but to pursue his Personal Legend. Santiago shows the characteristics of being a Hero, because he has a dream and he can easily connect with the reader,
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Santiago spends his days, reading books and roaming the land he has become accustomed to. Coelho used the idea of following one’s dreams in order to connect Santiago to the reader. He knew that at some point everyone has had a dream or a goal that they would like to achieve, but they need a little push and that's when the Old King of Salem comes into the story, he pushes Santiago to pursue his Personal Legend and goes on to say that, “For several reasons. But let's say that the most important is that you have succeeded in discovering your personal legend.”(23). As a result of this, Santiago decides to leave everything he had grown accustomed to and a life of tradition to pursue his dream. He has to make the grueling decision of leaving his parents, the girl he claims to be in love with and his sheep to go on an arduous …show more content…
He doesn’t want to let the Old King of Salem down by deciding that he will give up on his dreams because of an obstacle that could easily be resolved, therefore Santiago to seeks a job. Santiago decides to help the Crystal Merchant to make some money by cleaning glass cups. Santiago quickly shows his leadership skills when he “Sensed that he was going to make a decision...he had cleaned all the glasses in the window, and, as he was doing so, two customers had entered the shop and bought some crystal..”(48). He knew that the Crystal Merchant was a bit hesitant on hiring him because he was a total stranger in a strange land. Although this may be true, Santiago continues to show the Crystal Merchant of his ability and leadership skills when it comes to working for the Crystal
Santiago spends his days, reading books and roaming the land he has become accustomed to. Coelho used the idea of following one’s dreams in order to connect Santiago to the reader. He knew that at some point everyone has had a dream or a goal that they would like to achieve, but they need a little push and that's when the Old King of Salem comes into the story, he pushes Santiago to pursue his Personal Legend and goes on to say that, “For several reasons. But let's say that the most important is that you have succeeded in discovering your personal legend.”(23). As a result of this, Santiago decides to leave everything he had grown accustomed to and a life of tradition to pursue his dream. He has to make the grueling decision of leaving his parents, the girl he claims to be in love with and his sheep to go on an arduous …show more content…
He doesn’t want to let the Old King of Salem down by deciding that he will give up on his dreams because of an obstacle that could easily be resolved, therefore Santiago to seeks a job. Santiago decides to help the Crystal Merchant to make some money by cleaning glass cups. Santiago quickly shows his leadership skills when he “Sensed that he was going to make a decision...he had cleaned all the glasses in the window, and, as he was doing so, two customers had entered the shop and bought some crystal..”(48). He knew that the Crystal Merchant was a bit hesitant on hiring him because he was a total stranger in a strange land. Although this may be true, Santiago continues to show the Crystal Merchant of his ability and leadership skills when it comes to working for the Crystal