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The Alchemist Essay

Three Lessons of Alchemist

The story of shepherd Santiago described in the Alchemist by Paulo Coelho touched millions of hearts throughout the world. Though it was first published more than 20 years ago, it still gains new audience. Most of the readers become fans of the author and discover other works by the Brazilian writer. However, Alchemist takes a special place in their minds because of the power, faith and hope included in every single word of the story. What is more, with the help of the fable Coelho teaches his fans three important and universal lessons which should never be forgotten. Unfortunately, it seems that they were lost in the vanity of the modern life and Coelho kindly reminds the readers about the universal wisdom.

The phrase “when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it” belongs to one of the most cited quotes from the book (Coelho). It is also often pronounced or thought by the characters themselves. This catchy and easy-to-remember phrase sounds like a universal law and thus inspires the readers to participate actively in their own lives and do not be afraid of changes. It also fills the heart with optimism and enthusiasm and helps to overcome all the difficulties a person may encounter in his or her life. When all the creatures as well as stars and trees and the galaxy are on one’s side, everything should be fine. There can be no chances for failure! Despite Santiago had a lot of troubles because of his dream he never stopped wishing and struggling for his desire.

The second lesson Paulo Coelho teaches his readers is as easy as the first one: listen to your heart as it knows the right answer. This lesson is clearly illustrated in the plot. For example, when Santiago walks in the desert near his stop at Al-Fayoum, he foresees the danger that awaits the tribe which is living next to the oasis. He informs people about this issue and this saves a lot of lives. The answer Santiago got from the heart could have been neglected but in this case the main character made a right choice. Actually, the whole story reflects the interaction and understanding of these two lessons. Santiago follows the dream and listens to signals of his heart. For the character it is a way to success. Though it appeared to be crooked and hard, he walked it till then end and finally achieved the goal he was made for.

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In the end of the fable the main character surprisingly discovers that the treasures he was looking for the whole book can be found under the tree he saw his dreams in Spain. This episode reveals the third lesson Coelho teaches the readers and it consists of two parts. Firstly, Coelho emphasizes that there is no place like home as the place where one was born provides him or her with inspiration and abilities to continue the fight with the difficulties of life. Secondly, whatever the person does it leads to the return to the sources. Every finish is a fresh start, and the life of an individual is developed in a circles where home is the center of it.

Millions of people found their inspiration in the Alchemist. Though the plot of the book can hardly be described as realistic, Coelho managed to demonstrate the word both cruel and beautiful which resembles the modern one. This means that despite the fairy tale characters and magic episodes the story depicts real people with their desires and fears. Moreover, the book is characterized as a fable, which are aimed at learning important lessons out of the character’s experience. The lessons from the Coelho book are clear: the modern human beings have forgotten what whey are living for an they need to find out their own dreams, rely more on the instincts and heart and do not think of their home as it is the source of the individuality and creativity. Santiago finds the courage to follow all the rules and demonstrates how valuable are the lessons in his own life suggesting that the real happiness and satisfaction of life can be be found only after learning this hard, dangerous but extremely important lessons.


Work Cited:
Coelho, Paulo. The Alchemist: A Fable about following Your Dream. London: HarperCollins, 1992. Web.
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