The Only Ones

Desire is the strong feeling of wanting to have something or wishing for something to happen, the poem "Thou Blind Man 's Mark" by Sir Philip Sidney shows that desire makes you figuratively blind, to surroundings and even to others emotions and words. The poem was written in the 1500 's which will without a doubt change the true meaning of the poem, for instance a huge part of daily life was church, and that could have a huge impact on the meaning, however, there is no clues as to church or…

Throughout the play of Macbeth written by William Shakespeare, things always have a twist to them. Deception, which is defined as “the act of tricking someone by telling them something that is not true”, can be seen in the play through the main characters of deception, which are Macbeth, Lady Macbeth and the witches. Women characters are portrayed as manipulative and deceiving characters throughout the play. In the very first scene, it begins with the witches saying “Fair is foul, and foul is…

really happened. The author uses flashbacks of Paul’s memory to express the theme of seeing the truth. On page 182, Paul gets a flashback which shows his grandparents pulling up into a garage and then asking about his eyes. With this flashback, Paul is one step closer to finding out what really happened. This expresses the theme of seeing the…

that he is against destiny/fate, calling it “the world’s greatest lie” (Coelho, 18). His definition of Personal Legend is this, “It’s what you have always wanted to accomplish. Everyone, when they are young, knows what their Personal Legend is. At one point in their lives, everything is clear and possible” (Coelho, 21). All over the internet, I have looked, trying to find a set source that will tell me what Santiago’s Personal Legend was, and it seems that there is no set answer. When he was a…

The Alchemist is a novel about spiritual growth and is similar to many religions. The story of “The Boy” finding himself is a guide to finding oneself through learning his personal legend, listening to the guidance of others, and finding something to believe in. Through inspirational words and tales and life lessons, Paulo Coelho’s book is very similar to the books of religions. The goal of many religions is to guide people through life. Similarly, The Alchemist has many lessons that tend to be…

One key lighting element in a film adaptation of The Arabian Nights would be to make a definitive contrast in the lighting used in the real-life scenes between the captive princess and the king and the lighting used in scenes involving stories being told…

conspires to help that person to realize his dream” (114). What the alchemist means is that whenever a person has that strong desire and that highly anticipated motivation, nothing can stop that person from realizing and achieving his dream. This was one of the lessons that Santiago learned throughout his journey. This helped me realize that in order for me to achieve my goal which is succeeding in my academics at San Jose State University, I must have some motivation and desire. Nothing can…

Alchemist. The Alchemist reveals that one must have the courage to follow their destiny, for otherwise, they will hold themselves back from happiness. Coelho uses foil, symbolism, and personification to further develop this theme. Today’s readers can apply Santiago’s story to their own life, as a lesson to follow their calling. Throughout The Alchemist, Coelho uses foil characters to represent how Santiago’s life could be if he does not follow his personal legend. One foil is the crystal…

“It's the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.” (Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist). In The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, a shepherd boy named Santiago is on a mission to find his personal legend. In this book, there are two themes that mainly stand out, personal legend and Faith/positive thinking. In The Alchemist, Santiago follows his personal legend. It starts with a dream that keeps recurring every night. This then leads to a curiosity to find out what it means. He…

Thousand and One Nights is not thought of as influential literary piece. The revolutionary ideas this story conveys, considering that The Thousand and One Nights was written in the thirteenth century, is simply astounding. Alf Layla Wa-Layla’s The Thousand and One Nights had a resounding impact upon women’s rights and literature throughout the years to this day. In The…