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What do you think the significance of the buried treasure at the starting location of the abandoned sycamore tree represent or symbolize?

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Alright, I guess this is going to be a pretty blunt "reflection" that may turn into a rant- let's hope it won't... don't worry, it won't! I really enjoyed the philosophy and concepts discussed in the book. I like many quotes from Coelho, but sadly, I only like what is in the text. Although I think his journey was necessary and all, I didn't really think the plot of the book was captivating or anything like that. The ending of the book had me a little disappointed since this whole trip he had been literally (yes, he has changed completely, for life, metaphorically and mentally) and physically traveled cross-continents, only to realize he had to travel back to where his treasure was: in the beginning the whole time. As a result, that mere fact sort of bothered me since I felt as if in terms of what sparked his journey and gave him an incentive, money, was where he started before the journey the whole time.

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(19) Signpost: Aha Moment                                        Pg#: 155

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(19) Signpost: Aha Moment                                        Pg#: 155

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"When I first reached through to it, I though the Soul of the World was perfect. But later, I could see that it was like other aspects of creation, and it had its own passions and wars."

In this scene as Santiago is talking to the Heavens, he has an epiphany moment when he is able to reflect back onto his experience with connecting to the "soul of the universe" (learning from nature, becoming one with the "flow"). He realizes that the world is not perfect, that everything in its "creation" has its pros and cons. How everything has a faucet of creation, how the things in the world are not clean, cut, and crisp. This is important to Santiago as a character, because it shows he has essentially taken away a lot about connecting with nature and understanding the world throughout his journey as he was pursuing his personal legend.

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(18) Signpost: Theme Tracker            Pg#: 146

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(18) Signpost: Theme Tracker            Pg#: 146

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"If a person is living out his Personal Legend, he knows everything he needs to know. There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure."

In this section, the Alchemist is once again, presenting another theme that is getting further developed- the Personal Legend. He explains that if you are following your personal legend and dream, the only thing that can stop you is if you give up and are too scared to chase after them. This not only has to do with literally fearing how great and "out of hand" dreams can be, but it also has to do with whether or not you are intimidated by your devotion and dedication to that dream. Just like any other journey, a journey to achieve your dreams is intimidating not only to approach but equally intimidating to keep pursuing. Staying motivated is sometimes the hardest part and the fear of failure can be demotivating and all stages of the journey.

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Out of curiosity, do you think (at this point of the book) Santiago will end up with Fatima?
Why has the Alchemist chosen Santiago as his pupil?
What does the Alchemist try to explain to Santiago about the Englishman?

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(15) Reflection: An Intro to Christine's "Romantic" Drama (Gasps! Christine can "fall" for people?! Yes. Yes, she can?) The DREAM guy?

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(15) Reflection: An Intro to Christine's "Romantic" Drama (Gasps! Christine can "fall" for people?! Yes. Yes, she can?) The DREAM guy?

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Without getting into specific details, the quote about true love and it getting in the way of our Personal Legends was one of those "RELATABLE" moments. I know I will be reflecting on my high school life and career in the future and laugh at myself. I can already see how people say "high school relationships are a joke", of course every once in a blue moon will there be your "high school sweethearts" exception. But going through failed "relationships " (and I use that term loosely, I guess) has helped me understand that if being someone is getting gin the way of my dreams, hindering me in any way, then it's not meant to be. If at any point you feel like you are potentially sacrificing part or yourself, important perspectives of yourself, or identification of yourself, then that person and love is not true love. Yes, there is no Prince Charming, but I believe having a significant other requires there to be one criteria for me (I'm a simple woman I guess); that criteria is: They need to support my decisions, ambitions, and morals. If I want to dedicate my life to becoming the wandering, humanitarian doctor, I think I will need someone who can love me and my ambitions just as much. Because my ambitions make up who I am, so you cannot love me unless you love what composes me.

I realize love is a strong and awkward word to be putting in a reflection- but hey- it's spoken from the heart!

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(14) Signpost: Theme Tracker           Pg # 118

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(14) Signpost: Theme Tracker           Pg # 118

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"He has other things to do first. But he's on the right track. He has begun to try to understand the desert."

The Alchemist is explaining something which I feel is symbolic pertaining to the Englishman. We see that the Englishman has, in comparison to the Crystal Merchant (the average person scared to pursue dreams), recognized the "omens" and call to action and is trying to pursue his Personal Legend. The problem lies in how he approaches the path to his dream. Granted, his personal legend is very different than Santiago's, involving books and knowledge (education). But I feel as if he has become to caught up in the details of his dream that he has too much of a pragmatic and technical approach to his desires. That's something Coelho has been trying to say- dream big, dream those unrealistic dreams. Rather than trying to capitalize on the conceptualization of a dream or idea, we should fully embrace it and let dreams play out the way they can be. And that's a very frightening thing to do, to let go of what we are comfortable with and task life to the "nature of the world" to sort out our dreams.

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(13) Signpost: Words of the Wiser          Pg #:124

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(13) Signpost: Words of the Wiser          Pg #:124

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"You must understand that love never keeps a man from pursuing his Personal Legend. If he abandons that pursuit, it's because it wasn't true love... the love that speaks the Language of the World"

This part of the book shows how The Alchemist advises and points out to Santiago that as much as we can love someone and respect everything about them and their decisions, those whom we love need to be able to reciprocate how we feel. They should not get in the way of your dreams, and if anything, they should motivate and support what you want. Especially what the romantic side of our hearts want. It's easy to love someone or something so much that we fear if we leave it, we won't be able to return. But true love, someone who really understands you and wants what is best for you, would understand and support your ambitions.

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What new ideas has Santiago experienced and learned through meeting the Englishman about dreams?

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I find it amazing how Coelho is able to illustrate a lot of philosophy into a story which I would normally be bored by, but the writing style and morals polish the novel as a whole so that I can enjoy the read. I really feel strongly in unison with the idea that if individuals dream their own dreams- without the influence of societal pressures or expectations- and pursue them, the world will aid in your pursuit of your ambitions. Last year was a pretty dramatic year for me. I remember being a timid freshman (and honestly, although I talk a lot in front of people, I am truly an introvert at heart) last year and even now, I was very self-conscious. I remember worrying a lot about what people thought about me, feeling socially awkward, desiring acceptance into a team or group of “friends”, and even falling into a lot of depression due to how insecure I was. I truly do remember crying over clubs or from embarrassment- something that still happens today (though, rarely). At one point, I was ready to sacrifice a large part of who I was and my personality and my daily speech/thoughts to fit in. During this time period, no matter what I did, I always wound up feeling discontent and yearning for more and more acceptance. Then, one day over summer I decided: “You know what Christine? You’re going to begin to share the thoughts you normally perceive- no matter how different, theoretical, logical, or philosophical they are. You are going to be proud of your knowledge- one of the things you value the most in your life, and you are going to try your best to be proud of it. One day you’re going to be a doctor-without-borders who you will be proud of. And yes, you may talk and appear “like a nerd”, “like a know-it-all”, and “someone who has no life” to many people. But that is fine with me, because at least in my heart I can be content that I am pursuing my goals.” This book helps me realize that rather than fitting in and being comfortable with the things we already have, we should never be afraid to step out of these restrictions and take risks to quench our heart’s thirst.

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(9) Signpost: Again and Again			Pg #: 81-82

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(9) Signpost: Again and Again			Pg #: 81-82

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The idea that we are interlinked to the world as one great “soul” or universe and that “one idea that seemed to repeat itself throughout all the books: all things are the manifestation of one thing only.”

This constant recurring idea, whether it is reworded as the “Soul of the World” or all things in the universe, is repeated for a reason. It is the idea that we are all a part of this world and that we are all connected in some way. It also demonstrates how everything in the universe has its very place and role, and that we all can learn something from our surroundings- whether it be nature or from books. Coelho seems to try and imply that if we dream natural dreams and follow our own natural desires, the universe (nature) will extend stretch its hand out to us. In other words, “when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”

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“Everyone has his or her own way of learning things… His way isn’t the same as mine, nor mine as his. But we’re both in search of our Personal Legends, and I respect him for that.”

This reflection the boy has on the Englishman is very crucial in understanding a sublevel of theme associated with dreams. Not only does the book constantly point out how people should not be afraid to dream, this part of the book also shines light onto how each and every person lives their own unique lives and dream their own unique dreams. What matters is that as individuals, we do not fear boundless dreams. One person’s goal may be completely different than another’s- and Coelho says that that is how our ambitions work. Our end goal and ideal for success, accomplishment, and satisfaction in life is different than everyone else’s. The key is to continue chasing after that vision. In a sense, all individual dreams are worth pursuing. “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”

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Why do you think Coelho is trying to convey about failure with the stealing of Santiago's money almost immediately when he begins his journey?

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(5) Reflection: Welcome to TMI about my personal ambitions!

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(5) Reflection: Welcome to TMI about my personal ambitions!

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First off, I would like to express how much I already have fallen in love with this book. I feel like this has been a book I have been waiting to read- it almost feels for me (selfish of me, right?). A lot of theme pertaining to dreams and ambitions feel uncannily connected with an inner-conflict I face. To share a faucet of my life ambitions, I strongly feel as if it is my duty to give back to society and serve the welfare of less-fortunate people in third world countries through what I believe is my greatest "gift" and "talent": education and knowledge in mathematics and sciences. Call me a humanitarian and I personally will not deny it. I may seem like the greatest realist around, but I am truly the idealist at heart. Thus, I have decided to attempt to dedicate my life to becoming a "doctor without borders". I feel as if being a doctor is what I have always been destined for and wanted to do the second I felt good in my heart as a toddler for helping people, whether it be homework or chores. On the other hand, often I struggle with what my family and loved ones, as well as society, expect from me. Often I feel intimidated to pursue my dreams. Often I wonder if I am smart enough. Often I ponder if I am truly ambitious enough to become such an "amazing" traveling-doctor that I fantasize to become. Often I wonder if my family is fine with me being away in the future. Often I wonder if my family is fine if I do not earn the wages of a doctor in the US, but rather opting to work under a non-governmental organization. Often I wonder how much of my life, how many years, how much stress and burdens I will face to become the "me" I want to see. It seems almost crazy, this whole spiel, but this book seems to have greatly moved me. It speaks to me, and perhaps it has made me realize that if that's what I want to do in life, then I will do everything in my ability to pursue my ambitions.

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(4) Signpost #2: Words of the Wiser            Page#: 24

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(4) Signpost #2: Words of the Wiser            Page#: 24

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"And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you achieve it."

These words are spoken by the old man (King of Salem) who Santiago talks to. Not only is it motivational to Santiago, but it also serves a greater purpose. I believe that it is a stagnant reminder and almost a "fact" (axiom, if you will) that if you want something enough and do everything in your power to pursue your ambitions, the "elements" will be in your favor. It sounds sort of hypothetical and magical, but I get the notion that Coelho is trying to express- through the words of the wiser- how our dreams have no bound. He is trying to convey that all things in this world, material or not, are attainable. He also shines light onto how as long as you set your heart on your goal and follow through, the world will supply what is necessary to accomplish them. It's a matter of you taking the hand the "world" (God?Fate? I feel like this depends on the individual, for me it's a mix) reaches out to you that determine if you will achieve your goals.

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(3) Signpost #1: Theme Tracker            Page #: 12

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(3) Signpost #1: Theme Tracker            Page #: 12

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"The boy could see in his father's gaze a desire to be able, himself, to travel the world- a desire that was still alive, despite his father's having to had to bury it, over dozens of years..."

This passage shows a recurring theme of dreams left suppressed. Although his father mocked his son for wanting to be a shepherd, the reader can infer that his father once had the same desires (and still does). More importantly, it shows how everyday people struggle with pursuing their dreams. In this case, his father is busy trying to maintain and settle down with a life he is comfortable with. Rather than taking risks and doing what he always has wanted to do, he sits back "content" with what he is familiar with. Perhaps it's because sometimes our dreams are too intimidating or too vast to approach. Coelho seems to be trying to relay the message that no matter how crazy or extreme your dreams are, you should always pursue them. The key- as cliche as this sounds- is to never give up on the idea of dreaming. Because, if we stop attempting to fulfill our dreams, we place life in the raw mechanism of the world and live out "fate" in its simplest form.

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Hello! This is a blog featuring my analysis and reading of Paul Coelho's "The Alchemist". I hope readers who visit can take away something new from this page!