The Alchemist
Paulo Coelho
ISBN # 0-06-250217-4
Presentation by Allyson Karaba
Characters
• Santiago – a Shepard in search of his destiny.
Santiago’s passion and ambition inspires him to see
the world and follow his personal legend of discovering
a treasure in Egypt. He gains wisdom throughout his
travels and this wisdom allows him to understand the
mysteries of the world.
• King Melchizedek – an old wise man who inspires
Santiago to sell his sheep and pursue the treasure.
Throughout the story he is a symbol of truth and his
wisdom surprises and shocks people.
• The Alchemist – understands the language of the
world and helps Santiago understand that all people
are connected to the soul of the universe. He serves as
a guide to Santiago. He has the ability to turn lead
into gold.
The Alchemist: Theme
"Tell your heart that
the fear of suffering is
worse than the
suffering itself. And that
no heart has ever
suffered when it goes in
search of its dreams,
because every second of
the search is a second's
encounter with God and
with eternity."
This book has a central
theme that if you do not
follow your dreams then you
will be wasting your life
afraid of taking a chance,
when you could be
encountering an emotional,
spiritual, and life changing
experience.
Explication
• “Lead will play its role
until the world has no
further need for lead;
and then lead will have
to turn itself into gold”
• This passage symbolizes
a person’s journey toward
their future. The book’s
theme is revealed in this
passage: the world has
no use for a person who
does not follow their
dreams, so in order to
turn into gold (be the
person they were meant
to be), they must find
their purpose and live
their dreams.
Discussion Questions
•
A recurring theme throughout The Alchemist is the occurrence of fatalism (The
belief that "what will be will be”) in everyday life. What are your thoughts on
fatalism? In any way do you agree with this quote from the book “‘To realize one's
destiny is a person's only obligation,’ the old man tells him. ‘And, when you want
something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.’"
•
Are omens really out there and are they important? What are omens? Are they
just illusions that we see to justify something we feel or want to do, or are they
something more?
The Alchemist
I believe this is a valuable choice read because it inspires
and influences people to follow their dreams. This
book explores the “pilgrimage that life should be” (M.
Scott Peck). Understanding that the world will help a
person toward their destiny if they trust in their
dreams is the main theme in this book and is
illustrated with symbolism and imagery.