The Pilgrimage by Paulo Coelho Santiago Analysis

The Pilgrimage by Paulo Coelho capital of Chile AnalysisPaulo Coelhos magical novel follows the adventure of capital of Chile, a school missish Sheppard from an Andalusian t consume who disobeyed his fathers leave behind for him to incur a priest. For this reason capital of Chile can be set forth as a determined, curious as well as adventurous child as he leads his sheep through the unknown deserts. At the beginning of the novel, we checker capital of Chile at an aband whizzd church, where he has been having reoccurring visions of a hidden muffin tack at the Pyramids of Egypt. Having no familiarity of omens or in the flesh(predicate) fictions at that point, he shrugged off this dream until he decided to visit a fortune-teller. Both she and an old man (whom he meets shortly after(prenominal)ward) tell him that he has a quest in intent that he must realize, and that is a part of his existence. tour pursuing his journey, he learns a fair bit about the world round him. Al though he has been grateful to fuck off trusted individuals much(prenominal)(prenominal) as Melchizedek, at that place were more negative lessons wise(p) such as depression (the lechatelierite Merchant), distant love (the bakers daughter) as well as legerdemain (the thief that stole his m geniusy). All of these obstacles held capital of Chile back on his quest to keying his personalised Legend. However, as the reoccurring quote When you want something, solely the universe conspires to uphold you achieve it (Coelho, 62) remains engraved in his head, his levels of want be once again replenished. There be a number of occasions when capital of Chile is strained to make choices that could alter the outcome of his journey. For example, he had to halt up being a Sheppard and sell his sheep in coiffure to boast enough m 1y to be able to finance his voyage to Egypt, in hopes of finding his apprise. I find Santiago to be a dynamic character as he matures and finds reliabl e love come along the end of the book. He has come to learn about the different languages of the world, of the intelligence and blend himself with his environment. The mind of the World is one of the biggest spiritual advancements that Santiago discovers throughout his journey for his Personal Legend. This term is or so directly associated with collective worship. All of these worshippers from different religions worship a certain mystery. But in the end, all of the religions point towards the akin mystery that is the true psyche of the World. Santiagos dynamic qualities atomic number 18 more apparent near the end of the book, where he al approximately gives up completely on pursuing his Personal Legend. Like the quartz Merchant, he starts to show more materialistic qualities and deems that his current possessions are satis occurrenceory for him and that the journey towards a supplementary entirely greater treasure is not necessary. induction of this is found when Santi ago tells the Alchemist I keep up al renty found my treasure. I have a camel, I have my money from the crystal shop, and I have fifty gold pieces (Coelho, 115).By the end of the novel, Santiago has acquired a lot of experienced, close toly gained by the knowledge of the Alchemist. Santiago learned to relinquish fear by earr all(prenominal) to his perfume, which guided him in the right watchfulness and ultimately guided him to his treasure, which was found at the sycamore tree in the abandoned church at the beginning of the novel. Santiagos ground of the Soul of the World is at its highest point during the item where Santiago was forced to magic spell himself into the wind by a bunch of warriors from the desert. At that point, Coelho uses figurative techniques in stage to bring vitality to the sun, the desert, the wind as well as the heavens. The use of personification attributed to these elements demonstrates how much Santiago has learned and deepened his savvy of the wor ld. Santiagos experience has brought him to understand the universal language of the world and is thus able to communicate with these dyspneic elements.If there was one thing I find by the end of this novel, it is that the character of Santiago can be symbolic to the way we live our own personal lives. Like each and e very one of us, we have character flaws that can often keep us from achieving our goals in life. Although most of us do not bank on omens in order to know if we are on the right track, we often rely on former(a)s invaluable sources such as our family members and friends who provide moral support to help achieve our Personal Legend. Obstacles will surely be met (we have seen many throughout Santiagos journey) hitherto thanks to the help of characters such as the Englishman and the Alchemist, Santiago was final examinationly be able to process his destiny and finally reunite himself with Fatima, the girl of his dreams.ISU Journals Personal LegendIn Paulo Coelhos Th e Alchemist the author puts a lot of emphasis on Personal Legends. Upon Santiagos quest, he meets a stranger who later reveals himself as Melchizedek, the king of Salem. He reveals to Santiago an important moral rule, in which consists the foundation of Coelhos whole novel Following ones own Personal Legend. The king describes this legend as A point in someones life where everything is clear, everything is possible. They are not afraid to dream and to yearn for everything they would like to see happen to them in their lives (Coelho, 21). Furthermore, the king explains how there will be difficult obstacles to overcome in the route to realising the personal Legend. iodine of the obstacles presented in Part 1 of the book is a young boy who hold to help lead him towards the Egyptian Pyramids for a cost. Little did the innocent boy know that the boy was in fact a thief and that dishonesty runs rampant in the city of Tangier. A second display case is when Santiago meets an Arabic Cry stal merchandiser, a man who has maintained his shop for over thirty geezerhood at the top of a hilly street. Through the crystal merchants character in Part One of the novel, we can see that he was unable to fulfill his own Personal Legend (which was to travel to the Mecca). While reading this particular instance of the novel, I felt that the merchants character greatly contrasts the protagonists quest into pursuing his own destiny. Phrases such as he had been in the same place for thirty geezerhood there was a time and it was too late to do anything else really show how much faith the merchant mixed-up in his personal dreams. I found that this really affected Santiagos morality and hence, I listed this figure as an obstacle to the fulfillment of Santiagos Personal Legend. Nonetheless the boys depression was soon relieved once the old merchant offered to help the young boy to fulfill what he once dreamed of doing.ISU Journals SheepAt the beginning of Paulo Coelhos The Alchemist we are brought upon the idea of the symbolization of the young Santiagos covey of sheep. Santiagos flock of sheep are first presented at the beginning of the novel. The Sheppard and his flock had ventured through the countryside of Andalusia for the past two years in search of food and water. Both the animals and their master have certainly form a solid bond of friendship and it is explicitly shown in the text when Santiago explains They are so used to me that they know my schedule (Coelho, 4). He would read to them regularly, commentate on the views that they passed by while pursuing their journey and comfort them when they would begin to stir. Santiago as well as comments that the amount of knowledge and understanding that he received from his sheep is quite superior to that of a book.Although Santiagos gratitude and expressed love for his sheep are inevitable, the greater symbolism lies in the feelings of disgust that he has towards them. While reading the novel, I have notic ed instances where Santiago says that the exactly things that sheep care about are food and water. The simplicity of happiness for animals is greatly contrasted with that of humans. Santiago is amazed by how careless the sheep are of their surroundings so long as they are provided with nourishment. This brought me to recognize that the limited perspectives on life of these sheep could in fact be paralleled with that of the Crystal Merchant as well as the baker. Evidence of this is shown when Santiago says If I became a monster today and decided to kill them, one by one, they would become aware only after most of the flock had been slaughtered.(Coelho, 7) correspondently to the Crystal Merchant and the baker, the sheep care vigour else but their material desires (being the food and water). In the case of the Crystal Merchant, he is too preoccupied with his muffled daily life (for more than thirty years) and the desire that everything remains the same. According to the king of Sal em, individuals who present akin characteristics to the merchant are unable to fully neither understand nor appreciate their purpose in life, nor the creations of God. This is one of the reasons that have kept them from pursuing their destiny.Setting/ EpochPaulo Coelhos The Alchemist has numerous settings which progress along with the novel. For instance, the beginning of the trading floor is taken place in the lands of Spain. Evidence of this is shown primarily by the name of the protagonist Santiago and by the fact that the boy first sets off his journey in the percentage of Andalusia. Also, there is a race in the story making relevance to the Moorish invasion over Spain The girl was typical of the region of Andalusia, with flowing black hair, and eyes that vaguely recalled the Moorish conquerors. (Coelho, 5) By this quote alone, we can already fall that the storys epoch is set in a pre- raw context (several centuries ago) during the time in which most technologies such as co mputers, cellphones were absent. Also, caravans as means of transportation are not used as much in the modern era as opposed to in the story. Additionally, the following quote provides proof of the setting by unveil the type of currency The next day, he gave his son a pouch that held three ancient Spanish gold coins (Coelho, 9). In addition to the epoch, Alchemy was a practice that had been abandoned years ago as it had been confirmed that you could not turn any stone into another by simply melting it and wait several years.The setting shifts to another Spanish town located in Andalusia called Tarifa. It is at this landmark that Santiago meets with the king of Salem and is given instructions on pursuing his Personal Legend. Evidence of this is shown when the author describes the shot and mentions that At the highest point in Tarifa, there is an old fort. Built by the Moors. (Coelho, 33)The plot line shifts continents and is before long found in a city called Tangier, which is fo und in Morocco (North Africa). We can confirm this setting because we find that the main language is Arabic, which Santiago isnt accustomed to. Clues such as the gigantic pipe (Coelho, 34) which can also be referred to as a shisha women with their faces covered (34) and priests that climbed to the tops of towers and chanted (34) all suggest an Arabic (Muslim) community.The final setting is in the Sahara desert, in which Santiago crosses in order to get to Egypt. Once again, clues such as the Al Fayoum oasis which is located near the Nile River as well as the Arabic the great unwashed confirm the final major setting of the novel.Plot summaryPaulo Coelhos The Alchemist follows the story of a young Andalusian boy named Santiago whose adventure begins after having a reoccurring dream about him and a mysterious treasure found in the Pyramids of Egypt. Piqued by curiosity, the young encounters numerous individuals, who influence his journey (both positively and negatively) to his treasure . Some of these individuals admit the Gypsy, the king of Salem, the thief at Tangier port, the Crystal Merchant, the baker, the Englishman, Fatima as well as the Alchemist himself.The main unconstipatedt in the story is set when Santiago is forced to make a series of sacrifices in order to obtain his Personal Legend. For example, the first instance is when he follows the king of Salems advice to sell his sheep and to travel to Tangier. The King teaches Santiago about omens which aid Santiago in making the right decisions. However, the young boy got robbed and therefore got a job at a Crystal merchants shop. There, he was able to teach the merchant on the subject calculates of life and how he shouldnt have given up on pursuing his own Personal Legend to one day travel to the Mecca. By making enough money, Santiago is able to pay his way crosswise the Sahara desert towards the sands of Egypt by means of a caravan. He then encounters an Englishman, who has also set himself on a jou rney in order to find his Personal Legend (to become an Alchemist). Through this man, Santiago learns about alchemy and the amount of difficulty associated with it. Arriving at an oasis, Santiago envisions a horde of men fight the desert and warns the chieftains. They were successfully able to defend against these men and Santiago finds the opportunity to meet the Alchemist in person. The Alchemist teaches the boy an innumerable amount of valuable lessons such as listening to ones heart, never giving up, understanding the Soul of the World etc. Santiago is put to the ultimate test when he has been captured by a sort out of Arabic soldiers and ordered him to turn himself into the wind as a display of his magical powers. By linking his heart to the Soul of the World, Santiago communicates with the sun, the wind and The Hand that Wrote All which invoked a powerful storm that brought Santiago to the other side of the hostile camp. Santiago and the Alchemist were free and Santiago fina lly makes it to the Pyramids of Egypt. However, Santiago is severely beaten and robbed at his final destination. One of the men describes his own dream as having seen a treasure buried at an abandoned church beside a Sycamore tree in Spain. Alarmed, Santiago finally understood this meaning and found his own treasure which has been at the starting point of his whole journey.Author relevance/ opus StylePaulo Coelho is the author of one of the most compelling books that I and many others have ever read. I believe that the character of Santiago is easily portrayed by the author himself as both allow a quest of self-freedom and to find their own happiness. Similar to Santiagos job as a Sheppard, Paulos dream of worthy a writer was severely frowned upon by the members of his family. His mother told him that his father was a very bright railroad engineer and that becoming a writer wasnt a job that got a lot of praise. As a matter of fact, Santiagos parents were equally perplexed about his dream of becoming a Sheppard. Unlike Coelhos family however, the young boys parents accepted his dream quicker than the author.The turning of point of Paulos life was when he walked the 500 plus mile Road of Santiago de Compostela in northwest Spain. During this pilgrimage, Paulo had a spiritual awakening and therefore had a different view on life. This part of his life had a great impact on his award winning novel. It is without a surmise that the protagonists name had been inspired by the city of Santiago de Compostela. Similar to the sheep in the novel, Coelho lived his life solely on food and water and wasnt living his life in order to pursue his Personal Legend, which was to become a full-time writer. The obstacles that Coelho have faced in order to become a writer, and therefore fulfilling his own Personal Legend, are paralleled to Santiagos own obstacles in the novel. Depression, thievery as well as physical assault are things that both the author and Santiago have under gone before realising their dream. Unlike Coelho however, Santiago had moral guidance as well as charms (Urim and Thummim) in order to guide him to realise his quest with better ease.After having read the authors biography, I find that Santiagos journey was not necessarily an adventure to find a material treasure, but also a pilgrimage for a spiritual awakening (similar to Coelhos path). Important messages such as listening to ones heart, following ones dream, understanding the Soul of the World etc. are things that Coelho himself has also endured. During his pilgrimage, he has ultimately formed a bond with nature and it is very apparent in his writing behavior when he brings inanimate elements such as the sun and wind to life. Coelho has a very interesting style of writing that appeals a lot to me personally. Many books nowadays are several hundreds of pages long and focusing too much on scenery/setting that often detract readers from understanding any type of moral or life-changi ng message. Similar to my literary compositions, I strive to only include key points and keep most text-fillers out. Although The Alchemist is a very short novel, Coelho avoids many unnecessary descriptions such as the scenery, characters and his use of imagery is very limited. Even having absolute the novel, we do not know of many of the characters age nor their physical appearance. The reason being is that Coelho neglected most of these useless elements to develop the storys main message to follow ones Personal Legend. Using a linear advancement of writing, the author keeps the story rolling with plot-relevant details such as what the character is doing.Themes/ConnectionsI believe one of the most important messages in this whole novel is to simply follow ones dream. Although this cheesy theme has been recycled many times and can be found in various films and literary works alike, Coelhos writing style is what sets his book apart from the others. For example, the authors use of A lchemy greatly enforces the books central theme. As the practice of Alchemy is to turn an ordinary stone (particularly lead, in this book) to gold, we can metaphorically associate Santiago to a block of lead. The dish up of alchemy does take several years and this is also associated with the time that Santiago spent in the Spanish pastures, Tarifa, Tangier and the desert in order to better understand his Personal Legend. Once Santiago met the Alchemist (the final piece to the puzzle) he got a crash course on spiritual awakening, listening to his heart/soul and communicating with nature. That was the final process in which Santiago needed to undergo in order for him to be fully transformed from a piece of lead to gold, hence fulfilling his Personal Legend and finding his treasure under the sycamore tree at the abandoned church.Im sure that most of us can allude to this particular theme as we all have had our personal aspirations or goals during our lifetime. When looking at most s uccessful people in the world such as Barack Obama, Donald Trump, Bill Gates or even Steve Jobbs, they didnt lives solely off food and water as the Crystal Merchant, Baker and Santiagos sheep did. They did have material possessions at the time but the difference is that they make risks in their lives in order to achieve their dreams (whatever they may be). The same applies to Santiago, when he made a huge sacrifice of giving up his sheep to get money in order to travel to Egypt. Many novels illustrate some form of sacrifice in order to fulfill their own dreams. Using the books theory, Mother Theresa was also an ordinary woman, who was ordained a Saint several years ago after devoting herself to help the poor.Although I have not figured out my Personal Legend yet, I believe that the book points out important problems with the world around us. I see the Crystal Merchant as a metaphor to the Average Joe of the modern era. A person that is solely fill with his material possessions and the ways things are. Even Newtons first law of physics (inertia) shows us that our body loves to be found at a same position and attempts to resist to changes. Consequently, a lot of us dont travel cold enough from our comfort zone because we are either scared of the unknown or scared that we will falter.Literary Devices/PredictionsIn Coelhos novel, the most prominent and important literary device is foreshadowing. My predictions set for my novel are heavily based on the clues I encounter from the reoccurring elements of foreshadowing. However, other literary devices such as irony, metaphors, personifications, symbols, motifs, themes are also included in the novel. The first prediction that I made within the first oppose of pages of the novel was his dream about having sought out his Personal Legend in the Pyramids of Egypt along with the help of a boy. Before having completed the book, I assumed that this boy was to be later revealed as an alchemist however the identity of this b oy remains concealed. This element of foreshadowing plays a big role in the boilers suit progression of the book as it is this incident that sparks the whole story line as it initiates him to talk to the Gypsy, in which he later encounters the king of Salem etc.After all of Santiagos influences, Ive came to the conclusion that he would as yet have a change in his personality one way or another. Since Santiagos journey relies heavily on the use of omens, it is easy to predict future events and the decisions that he will make in order to accomplish a task. For example, Ive predicted that the Crystal Merchant would surely travel to the Mecca to realise his Personal Legend after having encountered Santiago and deemed him as a good omen. Ive also predicted Santiagos loss of hope and that he would ultimately give up his journey after he packed up his bags to return to Spain. However, I later discovered that the omens of Urim and Thummim have signalled to Santiago that he must not give u p and must in fact continue his journey to find his Personal Legend. Further on in the story, I noticed that Santiago and the Alchemist have encountered hostile Arabic soldiers on their way to the Pyramids. I then noted that travelling in such an area would lead to their eventual capture.On the note of literary devices, personification played a grand role in the development of the climax (human traits were given to the sun, wind as well as the Hand that Wrote All). The story alludes to many characters throughout history as well as mythology. For example, Biblical allusion is made towards the king of Jerusalem Melchizedek who brought bread and wine and offered a blessing (Urim and Thummim in The Alchemist) to Abraham after he win a harsh battle. Also, in the novels prologue, there is allusion to the Greek mythologys Narcissus. This character brings to our attention that everyone is a part of the Soul of the World. Evidence of this is shown when the lake mentions I weep for Narcissus , but I never noticed that Narcissus was beautiful. I weep because, each time he knelt beside my banks, I could see, in the depths of his eyes, my own beauty reflected (Coelho, X).