Santiago does, and the novel ends with the youth in ecstasy.
“You just have to read the omens that he left for you.” Moreover, true happiness can only be found in accomplishing this mission. Throughout the work, Coelho drills home the message that everyone has a “Personal Legend”-a “personal destiny,” a “mission on earth.” “To realize one’s destiny,” Melchizedek tells Santiago, “is a person’s only real obligation.” “God has prepared a path for everyone to follow,” he continues. He discovers the treasure, which is, in fact, back in Spain and later marries the beautiful young woman. He encounters various obstacles along the way, not least of which is the temptation to settle for opportunities good in their own right-a successful job at a crystal store and marrying a virtuous (and beautiful) young woman-but that would ultimately derail his pursuit of his “Personal Legend.” Santiago overcomes these with the help of an alchemist, who guides him in reading the signs of the great book of nature.
He studies theology at the urging of his parents, who want him to become a priest, but as Coelho puts it, “ever since he had been a child, he had wanted to know the world, and this was much more important to him than knowing God and learning about man’s sins.” With the blessing of his father, Santiago leaves the seminary at 16, buys a few sheep and begins a fulfilling life as a shepherd-fulfilling, that is, until he dreams about a child who transports him to the Egyptian pyramids and tells him: “If you come here, you will find a hidden treasure.”Ĭonfused by this dream, Santiago seeks out the advice of a local gypsy and in the process meets that ancient king Melchizedek, who tells him that his dream depicts his “Personal Legend”: “It’s what you have always wanted to accomplish.” Following his dream would mean giving up the satisfaction and comfort of shepherding, and while Santiago struggles with this decision, he ultimately sells his flock and heads to Egypt.
Despite our otherwise pessimistic age, The Alchemist‘s popularity shows us that we still very much long for a meaningful life-a life structured around a single purpose. For those who haven’t read it, the novel recounts the adventures of a young shepherd by the name of Santiago.
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