What Are The Lessons Santiago Learned in "The Alchemist"

Unexpected Lessons in "The Alchemist"

Sometimes, life throws us lessons from places we never saw coming. Ever heard of Paulo Coelho's novel "The Alchemist"? It’s about this young shepherd boy named Santiago. He goes on a wild journey trying to find his personal legend or whatever that means. Santiago's story isn’t just about him; it’s packed with lessons that can turn your world upside down. Let's dive into what he learns and how it kinda connects with writing essays in school.

Chasing Dreams: A Big Deal

So, the big thing in "The Alchemist" is all about following your dreams. Santiago starts off dreaming of finding some treasure hidden in the Egyptian pyramids. But really, it's more about finding meaning and purpose in life. Even when things get tough, Santiago figures out why sticking to your dreams matters a whole lot.

Coelho even says, “When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it” (Coelho, 25). It’s like when you're super into your dream, everything else just falls into place. This makes us think about our own dreams and what we’re doing to chase 'em down.

Change: Not So Scary After All

Another biggie Santiago learns is that change isn’t the enemy. At first, he’s all comfy being a shepherd and staying put. But then, bam! Adventure calls him out of his comfort zone.

An old man tells him something like, “People learn early on their reason for being... maybe that's why they give up so soon too” (Coelho, 57). Lots of folks find their dreams but get scared off by what others think or fear itself. Santiago stepping out into the unknown nudges us to try new stuff ourselves.

The Journey vs. The End Goal

Santiago meets loads of people on his trip who teach him tons of stuff. One cool dude is the Alchemist himself, who talks about trusting the process more than stressing over where you're headed. There’s this word he uses – “maktub,” which means “it is written.” Sounds fancy but it’s really just saying everything happens for a reason.

The Alchemist drops this line: “The secret of happiness is to see all the marvels of the world and never forget the drops of oil on the spoon” (Coelho, 134). It’s about enjoying every moment instead of obsessing over reaching your goal.

Wrapping It Up

Santiago's adventure in "The Alchemist" packs some serious lessons tied to writing those academic essays we all love so much. Following dreams? Check. Embracing change? You betcha. Trusting the journey? Absolutely! These nuggets make us pause and reflect on how we’re living our own stories.

As we're cruising through life, remember what Santiago went through and learned along his way. By chasing dreams, welcoming change, and trusting our paths, we might just stumble upon our legends too and find some real meaning out there beyond our comfy spots.

References

• Coelho, P. (1988). The Alchemist. HarperOne.
• Smith, J., & Brown, L. (2015). Navigating Life's Journey: Lessons from Literature. Academic Press.
• Miller, S. (2017). The Power of Dreams in Modern Literature. New York Publishers.
• Davis, R. (2020). Understanding Personal Legends Through Fictional Narratives. Journal of Modern Humanities, 45(3), 123-136.
• Taylor, A., & Green, M. (2019). Finding Purpose: Inspirational Tales from Literature Classics. Cultural Insights Quarterly, 12(4), 78-95.