This report is based on the book The Alchemist , written by Paulo Coelho. The book was published in 1992 and was never reprinted.
In essence, the book The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho is no doubt a captivating piece that embodies a young Andalusia shepherd while on his journey to the pyramid of Egypt. Consequently, Coelho’s dream and personality saw his parents admit him to a mental institution where he later joined Law school which he chose to forsake a voyage around the world. His life was a journey full of challenges which he overcame to become a famous internationally recognized writer with a collection of over 25 books among them the bestselling book in Brazil and abroad, the Alchemis t. The author through his book mirrors his own life’s journey with exemplary literal expertise ( Coelho, 2016) . This paper focuses on the external and internal points of conflict evident in the book and also looks into the protagonist motivation behind the decisions.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Santiago, the main protagonist, embarks on a mission to the Egyptian pyramids amidst his lack of familiarity with such paths and lack of certainty on the success of his mission. His will to succeed was stronger than his fear of the unknown; hence he overcame his conflicted mind by choosing to leave the comfort of his green pastures for the harsh desert climate. His loyalty to his mission is admirable and should be replicated in the lives of all young men and women in our current society ( Coelho, 2016) . He felt he had a duty to find his legend and discover the hidden treasures at the foot of the pyramids. Consequently, by overcoming this internal conflict, he defines his purpose in life, initially, he is conflicted, but he finds motivation from the old woman and the king of Salem.
The young man overcomes many obstacles to achieve his goals, albeit being bound to the distractions of youth such as his love for Fatima, wealth acquired at the crystal merchants’ shop, his friend’s betrayal when he steals his money, as well as a cultural and language barrier. Despite all these challenges he remained focused on his purpose ( Johnson & Ostovich, 2014) . As young men and women in the army the importance of staying focused on our mission and purpose in serving our country cannot be dismissed ( Coelho, 2016) . However, the journey to the pyramids required adapting survival strategies as it would not be easy, something the main character realized early enough in his life. Santiago is also conflicted on whether the treasures he sought were worth it all and, therefore, he considered the lessons learned about life and nature to be more precious.
The gift to interpret omens aided him in predicting the future, having a visionary perspective enabled him to save the entire of the oasis community. He chose to overcome his desire to dwell in the pleasures of the oasis and ignore the warning of the omen but instead decided to share his vision with the oasis chieftainship. A journey of one man is a lonely journey something he had learned as a shepherd in Andalusia, alliances and teamwork enabled the young voyager to overcome tribal warfare’s in the desert and later arrived in Egypt ( Johnson & Ostovich, 2014) . To be a leader having a vision is paramount, regardless of age or cultural differences, a vision gave Santiago a platform to protect the people of the Oasis.
The greatest motivation for him was his desire to go beyond reasonable limits. In essence, it would have been somewhat unthinkable for one to turn into a wind, but he believed it was possible and hence it became true for him. In this light, the protagonist character chose to walk away from his comfort zone and seek adventure in a foreign country ( Johnson & Ostovich, 2014) . Consequently, he learned the value of discipline, resilience, and faith while on his mission. His was a mission to attain a higher goal not just for present moment gratification but his entire future. Mainly, finding treasure in the pyramids would serve him well especially by making him a rich man. In addition to the riches, the lessons learned about life in the desert would act as an eye opener for the rest of his life.
At a young age, the protagonist character had learned the value of appreciating change; for he knew a change was inevitable in his life, just as he chosen to leave his seminary life for a shepherds’ life. He had taken on the journey of shepherding for a long time, and he knew his homelands well, a desire to travel the world was inherent in him a force too great to reckon with ( Johnson & Ostovich, 2014) . His decisions were guided by passion, will and a sense of purpose. Nonetheless, he relied on the advice of his seniors and helped from his acquaintances. Another motivation was the desire to accomplish what his father was unable to do. While he could see his burning desire to travel the world, he certainly lacked the opportunity he wanted hence proposed to travel the world taking advantage of his youth to accomplish all he could.
In conclusion, the author uses a deserts setting for the protagonist journey of life portraying a difficult journey. In this light, the story is characterized by conflicting natural conditions, conflicting character traits, and various innate nature of a human being. Coelho takes the main character through a journey of hurdles which he overcomes and later returned to find the treasure beneath a sycamore tree in the sacristy of the abandoned church in his home. Selfless dedication to a mission bound with many dangers invites self-doubt, fear, and even disappointment. However, persistence, focus, discipline, and resilience were tipped to bring the overall desired success that the protagonist character he yearned for long time.
References
Coelho, P. (2016). The Alchemist . Braille Superstore.
Johnson, B., & Ostovich, H. (2014). Alchemist. In Ben Jonson (pp. 45-56). Routledge.
