The Alchemist

Signposts: Theme Tracker  - Again, (because its a  theme ), we see the i nterconnectedness of everything . This time though, instead of just including beliefs, Coelho adds objects too. Beginning on page 149, Santiago begins a conversation about what love truly is, that includes talking to the dessert, the wind, the sun, the hand that wrote all, until he reached the Soul of the World and found the Soul of God also.  This part of the book shows the interconnectedness of physical objects, such as the dessert and the sun, with beliefs, such as alchemy and the Soul of the World, with religions and feelings, like love . It ties all (or most) of Santiago's lessons together, and puts what he has learned into the real world for him to really begin to learn about the Soul of the World.  Other Things to Notice: Character Development  - I thought it was interesting to see  how   Santiago dealt with setbacks  in the beginning of the book verses at the end....

Signposts: Theme Tracker  - One of the themes in this book is the  interconnectedness of everything.  This is clearly seen on page 92 when Santiago notices that God had been placing the omens in his path, and he says  "he had never thought of them in terms of a language used by God to indicate what he should do" . This theme is seen through this quote as the belief of omens it intertwined with God, and we also see God intertwined with Allah, and omens connected to alchemy and beliefs of people like the camel driver.  Words of the Wise  - One page 106, Santiago receives advice from the camel driver again, but this time the camel driver is also quoting and telling the story of a seer. During this story, the seer says that  "if bad things are [coming], and you know in advance, you will suffer greatly before they even occur" . One of the reasons this quote caught my eye was because it reminded me of something  I have heard before which is that if ...

Signposts: Aha Moment  - Santiago's "aha moment" on page 58 is when  he realizes what he has accomplished and is proud of himself  for it. Even though we know that Santiago has a greater treasure to find, I think it is still important to recognize that he sees what he has accomplished so far as a treasure. He was proud that he learned about crystal, about the wordless language, and about omens, and believed his prize was to be in Africa, to have met the thief, and been able to double his flock without spending any money. As he is thinking about returning home, he even says that he is excited "about the day when he would disembark at Tarifa as a winner" (58). This is not only an "aha moment" for Santiago, but  another lesson for the reader to be happy and proud of what we accomplish, even if we have not yet met our Personal Legend .  Words of the Wise  - Throughout this section, there are many instances where Santiago learns something from another c...

Signposts: Again and Again  - Coelho repeatedly writes about  Santiago's job as a shepherd, and how he loves it so much because of the freedom it gives him to explore new places and see new places  (although, I have to admit that this does sound pretty great). To travel and experience the world around him is Santiago's dream. I believe that the emphasis on this freedom to explore is foreshadowing for how this need will cause Santiago to find his true pot of gold at the end of his Personal Legend. I think that at the end of the story, Santiago will not wish to continue to roam Andalusia or Africa, but find that his true dream is something else.  Memory Moment  - An important memories we read about in this section is of  Santiago telling his parents he did not want to be a priest, but rather a shepherd   (and his memory of the merchant's daughter) . His memory of explaining to his father his need to see the world gives us some background not only to ...