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The Alchemist Dissertation Example

5 / 5. 1

Discipline:
Literature
Chapter:
Acknowledgements
Level:
PhD
Pages:
5
Words:
1375
View Sample

Free The Alchemist Dissertation Example

Author Tutor Course Date Pursuing Personal Legends in The Alchemist When growing up, parents and teachers always encourage their children to work hard to achieve their set goals. Similarly, individuals must pursue their Personal Legends above anything else in their lives. A personal legend refers to those things that one has always wanted to accomplish before they leave this world. In The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho focuses on the life of Santiago a young shepherd boy. One day he received a dream which was urging him to go for a treasure hunt in a faraway land. Santiago must, therefore, give up his flock, the love of his life Fatima and all the material success he acquires along the way. Failure to do all this, Santiago will not be able to achieve his Personal Legend. Coelho also insists that those who fail to follow their Personal Legends end up regretting and they experience failure even regarding wealth possessions. Individuals should always strive and pursue their dreams in life no matter the obstacles they face as demonstrated in The Alchemist. The Alchemist’s main protagonist Santiago brings out the central message that people must follow their dreams. It is not a coincidence that the story begins with Santiago having a vision under a sycamore tree in a place where there used to be a sacristy. A sacristy is a sacred place in the Roman Catholic belief. The sycamore tree is also significant since it is originally from Egypt where Santiago must travel to get his treasures. The old woman’s initial interpretation of the dream teaches us that sometimes we should learn to trust our instincts rather than looking for the hidden significance of the occurrences in our lives. It is so unfortunate that Santiago went for the pilgrimage in search of treasure, yet it was hidden right where he had his dream. In the novel, Santiago hears the term “Personal Legends” or “destiny” from Melchizedek who we learn is the King of Salem. As Melchizedek explains, it...
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