Literature Analysis #1

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

1. The story begins with a young boy, Santiago, who shepherds sheep through the Andalusian mountains. He is content with this life because he enjoys to travel. However, at one of his stops he encounters and old man who claims to be a king and strangely knowns all about the boy's life. This man tells the boy to follow his "Personal Legend", so the boy sells his sheep and sails to Africa to go visit the pyramids in Egypt, like he had dreamt of.  When Santiago embarks on this journey he is soon robbed and forced to become a crystal merchant at one of the local shops. The storekeeper is wise and kind to the boy and Santiago helps bring in business and is rich in a year. He cashes his money and joins a caravan headed to Egypt to pursue his personal legend again. In this caravan is an alchemist who teaches Santiago about the Philosopher's Stone and the Elixir of Life. At a stop he falls in love with Fatima. He also has a vision of an upcoming tribal attacks and saves the village. With this news of his vision, the alchemist advises Santiago to leave again and search for his Personal Legend. The alchemist and Santiago were almost to the pyramids, but were captured. However, Santiago's strange ability to communicate with nature got them released. He eventually makes it to the pyramids and begins digging for gold. Two men beat him and when Santiago spoke of his dream the man told him that dreams are worthless. The man described a dream he had about treasure in Spain under a sycamore tree. The man described the same place where Santiago had originally dreamt the dream when he was a shepherd. Santiago returns to Spain finds the treasure there and plans to return to the oasis to reunite with Fatima.
2. The theme of The Alchemist was that Personal Legends are the only way to live a satisfying life. It also emphasizes that everything must follow their Personal Legend for the world to be in balance. The Alchemist presents a very unique theology, because it suggests that the only spirituality that is necessary is the individualistic pursuit of your Personal Legend.
3. The Alchemist is unique because it doesn't sound like a normal novel, it sounds more like a myth or fable. It's straightforward and usually focused around teaching a lesson, rather than entertaining.