Themes Of Santiago In The Alchemist

In The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, the reader accompanies Santiago on his journey to find a hidden treasure. Along the way, he meets several characters who help him and teach him important lessons in regards to his Personal Legend. First, there is the Crystal Merchant who is a prominent example of someone who did not fulfill his Personal Legend. There is also the Alchemist who adds to Santiago’s knowledge of alchemy, and he plays a key role in him being able to pursue his dreams. While Santiago is searching to locate the treasure, he finds himself in a few different places such as Tangier and the Sahara Desert. Tangier presents Santiago with a life changing choice, and his trek through the desert to the Al-Fayoum oasis gives him knowledge. The …show more content…
With his kind actions, he allowed Santiago to move on and go through with completing his Personal Legend. Yet, the main purpose of him as a character is to represent someone who did not follow his dreams. He is a religious person who is expected to make a pilgrimage to Mecca. Although this is what he is supposed to do, he does not make the journey in fear of him having nothing left to live for once he has done finished his Personal Legend. In other words, his goal gives him the will to keep living, so he does nothing about it. The Crystal Merchant says, “I don’t like change” (Coelho 60). This goes to show that he is afraid of the changes he would have to make to his life in order to travel to Mecca. The use of the Crystal Merchant by the author clearly illustrates what he hopes people will not do with their lives. They should not give up due to fear and obstacles that stand in the way. It also shows Santiago what will happen to him if he ends up taking the path that the Crystal Merchant …show more content…
He has achieved the Master Work, which consists of the Elixir of Life and the Philosopher’s Stone. Any man would aspire to become the person that the Alchemist is. He mentors Santiago in the art of alchemy and helps him have more faith in himself. If Santiago had never met the Alchemist, he would have never found the treasure because this was part of his Personal Legend too. The Alchemist shares his sagacious words with Santiago making him more knowledgeable. He also keeps Santiago on track, because he was losing sight of what he really wanted. He says, “You must understand that love never keeps a man from pursuing his Personal Legend” (Coelho 124). In all, the Alchemist is the main reason why Santiago was able to reach his full potential and fulfill his Personal