The Alchemist Themes Essay Example

Persuade, Entertain, Inform. In any good novel, an author would use any of these 3 methods to communicate his message or ideology. In every novel, the idea or concept that a literary work explores is known as the theme. In Paulo Coelho’s book The Alchemist, the author entertains the reader with the journey created in the novel. However, the author's main purpose was to persuade and communicate a message to the reader. The theme created is, each person has a personal legend with specific signs that hint at their destiny. It is up to the individual to fulfill and achieve their legend. Throughout the novel, there are three main ways the theme is developed. The gypsy reading, Meeting the king of Salem, and the dreams of Santiago.

The first way the theme is shown throughout the novel is through Santiago’s dreaming. On page 7 it states, "I have had the same dream twice," he said. "I dreamed that I was in a field with my sheep when a child appeared and began to play with the animals. I don't like people to do that, because the sheep are afraid of strangers. But children always seem to be able to play with them without frightening them. I don't know why. I don't know how animals know the age of human beings." "The child went on playing with my sheep for quite a while," continued the boy, a bit upset. "And suddenly, the child took me by both hands and transported me to the Egyptian pyramids." This quote from the novel explains Santiago’s dreams and how it is a sign of his legend. In the dream, Santiago meets a boy who takes him to the Egyptian pyramids. The boy proceeds to tell him that there is treasure there. When Santiago is about to find out the location of the treasure, he wakes up. What makes the dream more significant was that it happened twice. This supports the theme that, each person has a personal legend with specific signs that hint at their destiny.

The second way the theme is shown throughout the novel is through the gypsy reading. On pages 7-8, it states, "It's a dream in the language of the world," she said. "I can interpret it, but the interpretation is very difficult. That's why I feel that I deserve a part of what you find. "And this is my interpretation: you must go to the Pyramids in Egypt. I have never heard of them, but, if it was a child who showed them to you, they exist. There you will find a treasure that will make you a rich man." This quote from the passage explains what the gypsy interpreted Santiago’s dream to be. When Santiago was traveling, he remembered that there was a gypsy who interpreted dreams in Tarifa. When she interpreted his dream, she realized that he did not just have any ordinary dream. She explained to him that his dream meant that he was destined for a journey that would lead him to treasure in the Pyramids of Egypt. This quote supports the theme and shows how Santiago’s encounter with a gypsy was a sign of his personal legend. 

The last way that the theme is shown through the novel is through Santiago’s encounter with the king of Salem. On pages 9, 10, and 12 it states, "It's a book that says the same thing almost all the other books in the world say," continued the old man. "It describes people's inability to choose their own destinies. And it ends up saying that everyone believes the world's greatest lie." "What's the world's greatest lie?" the boy asked, completely surprised. "It's this: that at a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what's happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate. That's the world's greatest lie." "It's a force that appears to be negative, but actually shows you how to realize your destiny. It prepares your spirit and your will because there is one great truth on this planet: whoever you are, or whatever it is that you do when you really want something, it's because that desire originated in the soul of the universe. It's your mission on earth." These quotes from the text are very important to the novel. Before meeting the King of Salem, Santiago told himself he would never listen to his dreams again. He felt that his dreams and the gypsy’s interpretation were just a waste of time. However, when the old man presented himself as the King of Salem, he explained to Santiago that he should fulfill his destiny. He explains that the greatest lie on earth is the inability to choose our own destinies and that our lives become controlled by fate. When the king told Santiago this, he immediately thought back to his parents. Santiago’s parents wanted him to become a priest, however, he knew he had desired to travel the world and become a shepherd. This quote shows how Santiago’s encounter with the King contributed to the finding of his personal legend. 

Throughout the novel, there is one meaningful theme that the author keeps presenting. That theme is, each person has a personal legend with specific signs that hint at their destiny. There are three ways the theme was communicated in the novel. Those three ways are the gypsy readings, Santiago’s dreams, and the encounter with the king of Salem. All three of these events have shown to have a connection to Santiago’s personal legend and destiny. These events help shape his journey of achieving his personal legend.