By: Veronica Pan, Secondary 3 Peace

When I first read The Alchemist, it was not enough for me to understand the full plot. My initial impression of the book was that it was a well-written book, but I felt that I had to dig deeper into the story's entire message. When I read it a second time, I did not realise how touched I felt until I felt tears falling down my face. 

The theme of The Alchemist is extremely simple, and yet not many people can pursue and understand it. The problems of self-doubt and regret conveyed in the book hit very close to my heart. The story is uplifting, realistic, and liberating. I'm happy to have read The Alchemist, and I am grateful to have had the task and the time to write this response journal report about it. 

The Alchemist's plot centers on Santiago, an adventurous young shepherd determined to fulfill his Personal Legend, which is to find treasure at the foot of the Egyptian pyramids. As the main character of the Alchemist, we read, experience, and immerse ourselves in the story and his pursuit of Personal Legend through his eyes. 

From the start, we see that Santiago is a unique and fresh protagonist. Santiago's father, a kind but unadventurous man, expected Santiago to become a priest but gave him his blessing to become a shepherd so he could wander the countryside. Santiago preferred constant travel because he believed that when you stay in one place, too many people get too involved with your life and therefore expect you to conform to how they think you should live. 

Along Santiago's journey, he meets countless people from different backgrounds, different struggles and different stories. King Melchizedek, the crystal merchant with a crippling fear of change - Santiago's foil - and the Alchemist, a 200-year-old, extremely powerful alchemist residing in the Al-Fayoum oasis. He often speaks cryptically, but he understands the importance of Personal Legends. 

From interacting and learning from the characters Santiago meets, he ultimately achieves his Personal Legend with the experience, knowledge, and insight he has gathered all throughout his journey.

The philosophy of The Alchemist connects the key insight that connects the practice of transforming metals through alchemy with the idea of human beings attaining spiritual perfection by pursuing their Personal Legend. The way one learns the craft of alchemy parallels how one achieves their Personal Legend. Just as alchemists purify lead, removing its impurities to transform it into gold, a person can purify and perfect the self by focusing completely on living out their Personal Legend. This process strips the individual of impurities (self-doubt, negativity), 'cultivates' newfound knowledge and refines the individual by pursuing their dreams and goals. Similarly, the alchemists did not purify themselves because they wanted to create gold but because they became so focused on their Personal Legend that they rid themselves of all other mortal and human concerns, a.k.a. 'The vanities of the world'.

This also relates to the practice of spontaneous spiritual awakening and enlightenment in which an individual transcends their perception of reality by dropping the human ego and all qualities that come with egos such as ideas, beliefs, and values. 

5 Important Lessons I Learned From 'The Alchemist':

1. Follow Your Heart & Pursue Your Dreams 

In our younger years, our 'Personal Legend' is clear. However, as we get older, we realise that our perceived dreams may incur losses and sacrifices. Thus, we convince ourselves that our 'Personal Legend' is unattainable and pursue something more 'realistic'. One's self-doubt, pessimism and denial derail oneself from their true dream.

However, the book emphasises the notion that 'Personal Legends' should never be given up on and to always follow our hearts no matter how 'selfish' they may be perceived. If we truly want to be content in life, we have to discover our soul's truest and deepest desire. We have to chase our Personal Legend, no matter what.

Dreams are not silly or selfish desires that should be ignored. It is why people live and what motivates humanity and the mystical force that connects everything in the universe. At first, Santiago doubts his dream to go to the Egyptian pyramids is worth it but he then accepts it as a calling and not just an insignificant goal.

By associating seemingly selfish or unrealistic human desires with the soul of the universe, The Alchemist presents a form of spirituality that differs from traditional religions (e.g. Christianity - placing your dreams and desires in God) that espouse self-denial. Instead of practising sympathy by helping others, Santiago must focus on his own Personal Legend. 

I cannot say I have truly discovered my Personal Legend but I realised that there is always a driving force and a passion that pushes human beings to wake up every morning and live in the present. As people keep on living and pushing through life's obstacles, I believe that one will always find their Personal Legend eventually. 

2. Conquer FEAR Because FEAR is the Only Thing Holding You Back

Fear is simply an unpleasant feeling triggered by the perception of doubt, anxiety, and danger. The book teaches us not to fear anything because every obstacle we encounter is for a higher purpose and is woven by the order of the universe. We should not fear because it is only going to push us back and prevent us from facing reality. This insight becomes important to Santiago as he learns to stop fearing failure and to trust in the omens he sees on his journey to pursue his 'Personal Legend'. 

During the trip to Al-Fayoum, a camel driver addresses the consequences of fear while he tells Santiago his life story. Fear and denial act as the biggest impediments to achieving one's Personal Legend. Santiago faces many obstacles during his journey where he feels loss, regret or distrust. He regularly feels tempted to abandon his quest when he fears losing what he has already earned. It raises the notion that a person should have no reason to fear anything if they know that they play a role in something greater than their life. The camel driver speaks from experience but he acknowledges that the same hand that writes a person's life story also writes everything in history, and therefore the universe itself. 

This belief does not prevent someone from suffering tragedies, but if the person knows that the tragedy serves a higher purpose they have no reason to fear any loss. I can somewhat relate to this, but I know there are some people and situations where they are unable to move from a low point in life. It is common to feel doubt and regret something. You feel as if you sinned or felt like you have done something wrong and that is human. However, in my perspective, rather than believing that a higher power is purposely orchestrating these obstacles, I believe that you should not fear because everyone has gone through it and many have made their lives better because of it. 

3. Learning is Through ACTIONS

We can only learn by trial and error. As we pursue our dreams, obstacles always seem to come out of nowhere, but they always teach us something. At the end of The Alchemist, the alchemist explains to Santiago why he had to endure so many trials if the universe does want him to fulfill his Personal Legend. 

The alchemist tells Santiago, 'There is only one way to learn' it's through action. Everything you need to know you have learned through your journey.'  His challenges served their own purpose: to help Santiago master the lessons he had already learned. The alchemist's statement implies that the important part of pursuing one's Personal Legend consists not just in reaching the final goal, but also in learning. 'The journey matters more than the destination'. 

Santiago may have started his journey as a regular shepherd with little determination but through every obstacle, he learns about the world and masters why he chases his Personal Legend. 

This ties back to the lesson that you should not fear hardship and loss because facing these hardships is all a learning experience. The fact is that whether you believe in a higher power or not, the knowledge we obtain from experiencing every moment and emotion of happiness and loss is extremely important. 

4. Focus on Your Own Journey

Nowadays, we are too distracted with other people and other things that we fail to take hold of our own responsibilities. For example, students in school often compare their scores to others instead of themselves. Breaking such habits is hard when there are so many people around you. King Melchezidek says to Santiago, 'In the long run, what people think about shepherds and bakers becomes more important for them than their own personal legends.' 

We should not be concerned about how others will judge and compare us even if we live in a competitive atmosphere. The book teaches us that the only person we can compete with is ourselves. Everybody is unique. We should focus on ourselves and work to become the best version of ourselves in the present. 

5. Never Give Up, Never Lose Faith 

When we start working towards our Personal Legends, failures are inevitable on our long journey. The key to success is to keep going, learn from our failures and never give up. At every stop of Santiago's journey, he experiences doubt and regret. He initially thinks of giving up his flock of sheep to King Melchezidek. In the oasis, he fears losing Fatima. Finally, after being captured, Santiago fears he will never be able to turn into the wind. Nevertheless, Santiago perseveres to achieve his Personal Legend. The book teaches us that we should never lose faith because good things always come in the end. 

Before Santiago sets out toward Egypt, he is robbed of all his money. This is the first major obstacle along his way. He becomes discouraged and begins to doubt everything he has believed in. The Crystal Merchant hires Santiago to work in his shop. The Crystal Merchant's Personal Legend is to make a pilgrimage to Mecca but knows that he will never fulfill his dream. He is Santiago's foil, one who characterises another by contrast. As a foil, the Crystal Merchant accentuates or draws attention to the qualities of Santiago.

A particular quote from the crystal merchant struck me as I read about Santiago's time working with him. 

'Every blessing ignored becomes a curse. I don't want anything else in life. But you are forcing me to look at wealth and at horizons that I have never known. Now that I have seen them, and now that I see how immense my possibilities are, I'm going to feel worse than I did before you arrived. Because I know the things I should be able to accomplish, and I don't want to do so.'

The crystal merchant expresses a regret common among several characters in The Alchemist, such as Santigo's father. Like them, he ignored the dreams and opportunities he was presented with, out of self-denial and fatalism. He knows that he has not achieved all he can in life and feels depressed as a result. The crystal merchant's quote serves as a warning to Santiago that those who ignore their Personal Legends in favour of settling into material comforts and their position always feel haunted by their untapped potential.

Some years ago, there was a time when I thought that there was no point in joining a certain competition or a certain activity because I doubted my abilities and focused only on what I had, not what I could be. I regretted being ignorant and blocking these opportunities to test myself or to give myself a novel experience. I did not know at the time that whether I did bad or good, every dollar could always repay itself tenfold in the form of the cumulation of experience and wisdom. I realised, all you have to do is try your best and the knowledge you can gain from that is already worth its weight in gold.

Why Read The Alchemist?

The Alchemist focuses on the individual and the pursuit of individual dreams and goals. It challenges the individual to live, not just to survive. It is a raw, beautiful, and inspiring story that emphasises passion and perseverance most of all. It explores the meaning of 'living the dream'. 

Despite the book's fictional setting and worldbuilding, the story's philosophies, characters and themes are expressed in a very realistic, almost heart-wrenching way. 

On paper, the ideas and themes explained and used over and over again in The Alchemist seem too optimistic. However, as shown in the book itself, we should believe and pursue our Personal Legends regardless of the consequences. We should not doubt ourselves because there is nothing impossible. Paulo Coelho shows the challenges faced in pursuit of Personal Legends and expresses that everyone experiences the same. He turns these obstacles into life-changing lessons. 

I believe that the Alchemist was Paulo Coelho's own Personal Legend, and the inspiration and enlightenment brought by the book have become the beginning of many others' Personal Legends as well.