English 102 Dr. Neela B. Saxena Thinking questions The Alchemist Name: Nkokheli Benson Date: November 11, 2018 1. “The Soul of the World is nourished by people’s happiness. And also by unhappiness, envy, and jealousy. To realize one’s destiny is a person’s only real obligation. All things are one” (22). Explain what the Soul of the World is. The Soul of the World is sometimes equated with God. It’s a spiritual force that binds all of us together and governs all things and, speaks with us in the language of signs and omens. 2. What is the secret of happiness according to the wisest of wise man on page 32 and what does it mean? The secret of happiness is to see the world’s marvels without forgetting the oil in the spoon. It is important for the boy to experience the world, but on this journey, he shouldn’t be distracted from his own personal goals and purpose in life. 3. What does the crystal merchant teach the boy when he says “both you and I needed to clean our minds of negative thought” (46)? The crystal merchant teaches the boy that just because he is hungry, doesn’t mean he has to clean because the Koran orders him to feed the hungry. 4. What is the universal language that the Englishman is looking for on p 70? Does he succeed? The Englishman is looking for the language of the world. The language of the world is a way all things communicate because all things are one. The Englishman does not succeed because when Santiago told him about the language of the world, he responded with saying that all he needs to know is found in books. The Englishman isn’t interested in listening to the desert or trying to listen to omens, hence why he does not succeed. 5. What does the boy learn about intuition on p 74? The boy was beginning to understand that intuition is really a sudden immersion of the soul into the universal current of life, which is where the history of all people are connected, we are able to know everything because it’s all written there. 6. What does he learn about fear from the camel driver’s story on p76, and what does he say about time on p 85 and 103? The boy learns that we are afraid of losing what we have, whether it’s our life or our possessions and property. But this fear goes away when we understand that our life stories and the history of the world were written by the same hand. The camel driver tells the boy to live in the moment and not focus on the past or the future in order to be happy. 7. What does the Englishman say about the Soul of the World and alchemy on p 7879? The Englishman compares Santiago’s success to the governing principle of Alchemy, called the Soul of the World. The term refers to the positive force of the world that works for the betterment of all things, both living and inanimate. 8. What are Elixir of Life and the Philosopher’s Stone (81)? The philosopher’s stone is a legendary substance known for its ability to turn ordinary metals into gold. It was also known as an elixir of life and that was used for rejuvenation and sometimes immortality. 9. What happens to the boy when he meets the Arab woman on p92? When the boy meets Fatima he immediately falls in love with her. He actually thinks about staying at the oasis and take her instead of the treasure. But since him and Fatima have true love, she know he will be back for her if it’s meant to be. So she urges to continue his journey while she patiently waits for his return. 10. How does the boy meet the alchemist and what does he tell the boy on p111? The alchemist appears as a horseman carrying a sword aimed at him, asking him a series of questions. The Alchemist tells the boy that he needed to test his courage, and that he must not give up on his goal. 11. “You must understand that love never keeps a man from pursuing his Personal Legend. If he abandons that pursuit, it’s because it wasn’t true love…the love that speaks the Language of the World” (120). What kind of love is this? This kind of love is true love. True love speaks the universal language and will last even through separation and difficulty, because it is meant to be. 12. What went wrong with the older alchemists according to the alchemist on p 125? The older Alchemists went in search of their own personal legends and treasure but they had failed. The reason why it had failed was because of the distraction of the treasure. 13. What does the alchemist say about the heart (127-)? The alchemist says that our hearts came from the soul of the world and that is why we know everything because they are connected to it. 14. “Every search begins with beginner’s luck. And every search ends with the victor’s being severely tested” (132). Explain what that means. This quote means that the darkest moments of our lives, come just before the Prime of our lives. 15. What does the alchemist say about treasure, alchemy, and gold p 136-138? The Alchemist says that there were many that were interested only in gold. They never found the secret. They forgot that lead, copper, and iron have their own personal Legends to fulfill. 16. How does the boy turns himself into the wind? The boy tells the Sun about love. He says that love transforms the Soul of the World. He tells the sun that love cam empower it to do anything. 17. Why does the boy laugh when he looks at the pyramids on p 163? The boy laughs at the thought of traveling all the way to the pyramids in Egypt to find that his treasure was under the sycamore tree all along. 18. Think about the connection between, perfume, kiss and Fatima at the end of the story and explain why the story is called The Alchemist. He devotes himself to finishing his quest and returning for Fatima. The very end of the book supports this as he discovers the treasure at the bottom of the tree at the church, back in his homeland, though he acknowledges that his greatest treasure is not gold. The Alchemist theme is to always follow your dreams and listen to your heart.