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Melchizedek tells Santiago that he often appears in people's lives just at the moment they are about to give up on their destiny. What is your take on destiny, and have you ever had a moment similar to what Melchizedek speaks of?

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Melchizedek tells Santiago that he often appears in people's lives just at the moment they are about to give up on their destiny. What is your take on destiny, and have you ever had a moment similar to what Melchizedek speaks of?

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Why do you think Melchizedek tells Santiago about the life of the baker? What point is he trying to get across to Santiago? 

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Why do you think Melchizedek tells Santiago about the life of the baker? What point is he trying to get across to Santiago? 

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“Dreams are the language of God,” says the gypsy woman. What might she mean by this? 

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“Dreams are the language of God,” says the gypsy woman. What might she mean by this? 

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The boy spends a lot of time reflecting on his flock; he notices that the sheep care only for food and water, and are content to make no decisions of their own, trusting him to care for them. What might the habits of these sheep symbolize? Is there any similarity between their life and the lives of the boy’s parents? How is the boy different from others? 

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The boy spends a lot of time reflecting on his flock; he notices that the sheep care only for food and water, and are content to make no decisions of their own, trusting him to care for them. What might the habits of these sheep symbolize? Is there any similarity between their life and the lives of the boy’s parents? How is the boy different from others? 

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The King tells the boy that when you really desire something "all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it" (p. 22). And he explains the principle of "favorability," or beginner’s luck. How has Santiago benefited from beginner’s luck so far? What can we anticipate will happen at some point in his journey based on his favorable luck so far? 

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The King tells the boy that when you really desire something "all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it" (p. 22). And he explains the principle of "favorability," or beginner’s luck. How has Santiago benefited from beginner’s luck so far? What can we anticipate will happen at some point in his journey based on his favorable luck so far? 

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Let’s dissect this quote, “As he mused about these things, he realized that he had to choose between thinking of himself as the poor victim of a thief and as an adventurer in quest of his treasure. ‘I’m an adventurer, looking for treasure,’ he said to himself.” (Coelho, 45).

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Let’s dissect this quote, “As he mused about these things, he realized that he had to choose between thinking of himself as the poor victim of a thief and as an adventurer in quest of his treasure. ‘I’m an adventurer, looking for treasure,’ he said to himself.” (Coelho, 45).

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As Santiago considers why he needs to keep his jacket, even though he spends most of the day carrying it around in the heat, a central theme is introduced. The jacket, therefore, is a symbol, or something that is itself but also represents something else or something deeper, in this case, a theme. What is that theme? 

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As Santiago considers why he needs to keep his jacket, even though he spends most of the day carrying it around in the heat, a central theme is introduced. The jacket, therefore, is a symbol, or something that is itself but also represents something else or something deeper, in this case, a theme. What is that theme? 

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The King says that many people lose sight of their Personal Legends and let their lives be controlled by fate. However, the concept that our destiny is already written -- is endorsed by many other characters. What is the difference between being controlled by fate and discovering one’s “personal legend” or destiny?

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The King says that many people lose sight of their Personal Legends and let their lives be controlled by fate. However, the concept that our destiny is already written -- is endorsed by many other characters. What is the difference between being controlled by fate and discovering one’s “personal legend” or destiny?

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What tests and setbacks does Santiago experience on his journey? Why is it important that he faces and overcomes these challenges? How would the novel be different if his quest was easier?

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What tests and setbacks does Santiago experience on his journey? Why is it important that he faces and overcomes these challenges? How would the novel be different if his quest was easier?

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Melchizedek tells Santiago the fable of the oil and the spoon. Those who understand the moral of the fable hold the key to happiness. Santiago believes he understands the moral of the story. What does he think the lesson of the story is?

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Melchizedek tells Santiago the fable of the oil and the spoon. Those who understand the moral of the fable hold the key to happiness. Santiago believes he understands the moral of the story. What does he think the lesson of the story is?

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The boy is repeatedly encouraged to read the signs and omens to learn what he should do. What is an omen? How are omens related to “the universal language” and finding one’s Personal Legend? What are some of the omens that appear to Santiago in the novel? Have you ever experienced something that seemed like an omen? 

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The boy is repeatedly encouraged to read the signs and omens to learn what he should do. What is an omen? How are omens related to “the universal language” and finding one’s Personal Legend? What are some of the omens that appear to Santiago in the novel? Have you ever experienced something that seemed like an omen? 

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As he stands gazing across the Strait toward Africa, Santiago feels a strong wind, called the “levanter” on his face. What does he realize that the wind symbolizes, and how does this realization help him decide to cross the Threshold and start on his journey? How do we know that Melchizedek’s advice helps him make this decision? 

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As he stands gazing across the Strait toward Africa, Santiago feels a strong wind, called the “levanter” on his face. What does he realize that the wind symbolizes, and how does this realization help him decide to cross the Threshold and start on his journey? How do we know that Melchizedek’s advice helps him make this decision? 

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What is the function of magic in The Alchemist, and what does the ability to practice magic symbolize?

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What is the function of magic in The Alchemist, and what does the ability to practice magic symbolize?

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What role do forces of nature such as the wind and the sun play in Santiago’s journey?

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What role do forces of nature such as the wind and the sun play in Santiago’s journey?

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I think the gypsy means that dreams are how God send messages and communicate with humans. I also think they are how God tells one a personal legend for God sends Santiago the dream twice about his personal legend and he than urges him to seek out a dream interpreter since he has seen it twice now.

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The Alchemist, magic symbolizes possibilities and personal power. Magic represents power that is beyond the restriction of people and society, power that correlates with one's personal resources, things that they are capable of controlling and that is given. Power can help someone fulfilling their personal legend, and magic represents the possible circumstances they may face on the journey.

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Throughout Santiago's journey he experiences many setbacks and challenges that he must overcome if he wishes to be successful. Some challenges that Santiago experiences is putting too much trust in others which only results in him getting hurt or scammed in the end. An example of this is when the con artist tricks Santiago to hand him the money and hold onto it while he shows Santiago how to get to the pyramids, but when Santiago stops looking the con artist runs away with all his money and Santiago is left with nothing. Although this was a tough challenge that Santiago experienced and he needed to gain all of his money back, it was an important lesson of trust for Santiago. Throughout his journey Santiago is often very trusting of others but the lesson with the con artist teaches Santiago that he needs to depend on himself rather than others and that too much trust in others can often backfire. The book would be different without these challenges because the book wouldn't be as thrilling and interesting for the reader and it also shows that Santiago's journey is not perfect and he makes mistakes. 

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Throughout Santiago's journey he experiences many setbacks and challenges that he must overcome if he wishes to be successful. Some challenges that Santiago experiences is putting too much trust in others which only results in him getting hurt or scammed in the end. An example of this is when the con artist tricks Santiago to hand him the money and hold onto it while he shows Santiago how to get to the pyramids, but when Santiago stops looking the con artist runs away with all his money and Santiago is left with nothing. Although this was a tough challenge that Santiago experienced and he needed to gain all of his money back, it was an important lesson of trust for Santiago. Throughout his journey Santiago is often very trusting of others but the lesson with the con artist teaches Santiago that he needs to depend on himself rather than others and that too much trust in others can often backfire. The book would be different without these challenges because the book wouldn't be as thrilling and interesting for the reader and it also shows that Santiago's journey is not perfect and he makes mistakes. 

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The difference between being by fate and discovering one’s “personal legend” or destiny is that fate is something you can't avoid or have control over. Fate is already set out for you and you are merely following that path. Whereas your “personal legend” or destiny is completely  up to you. You choose what you want to do with your life and how you want to live. The decisions you make impact your destiny while fate is premeditated and you'll end up on that path no matter what. Fate is planned by a the divine, hence why you don't have control. For example, in The Alchemist, Santiago fate was that he was meant to look treasure in the pyramids in Egypt. But his destiny was made by himself when he decided to become a shepherd instead of a priest.

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The difference between fate and uncovering one's personal legend

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The difference between fate and uncovering one's personal legend

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To understand what fate and a personal legend are, someone must know what it means to live their lives whether it be with habits or sheer randomness. Within the novel, Santiago is constantly barraged with life-changing advice that changes the way he perceives the world. Whether if he loses trust in others or learns what it means to explore without being shown the way by others, identifying what a personal legend could possibly change the way one lives their life. A personal legend, according to the King of Salem, is a persons' path along with life in which they never give up and chase their own dreams. In comparison to a personal legend, being controlled by one's fate is saying that all actions regardless of what you do is already predetermined and that your purpose in life has already been chosen. If a person was to belive in fate and fate alone, they would end up like the baker in the story the King of Salem told Santiago, which made him stay in one place, never leaving his bakery to explore the world he had always wanted to explore.

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Magic and the ability to practice magic symbolize the new possibilities and the different types of powers that someone can possess and manipulate others with. This symbolizes different types of opportunities that may either come about because of the magic or the different means of taking advantage of someone's vulnerability. The people who possess these skills, such as the king of Salem, have more power to manipulate and take advantage of those who do not, such as Santiago, and they in the end have more opportunities and different possibilities opening up to them because of their power.

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The quote "Dreams are the language of God" which was stated by the gypsy women may mean that people's dreams may contain signs from God or something that God is trying to communicate with the person. This quote could also mean that people should seek to understand the meaning of their dreams, like Santiago, since it could lead them to their personal legend or teach them important lessons. Overall, this quote tries to explain to the reader that dreams are important and may often contain answers's from God that people are truly looking for. 

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The quote "Dreams are the language of God" which was stated by the gypsy women may mean that people's dreams may contain signs from God or something that God is trying to communicate with the person. This quote could also mean that people should seek to understand the meaning of their dreams, like Santiago, since it could lead them to their personal legend or teach them important lessons. Overall, this quote tries to explain to the reader that dreams are important and may often contain answers's from God that people are truly looking for. 

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Magic in the Alchemist symbolizes power. Magic also symbolizes the possibilities that one may face during and throughout their journey. The ability to practice magic symbolizes power, and it seems delicate, not everyone can practice magic.

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When the gypsy says "Dreams are the language of God", she means that God is trying to tell or hint something to you in your dreams. Your dreams might symbolize something deeper and you should never ignore that hint.

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I believe Melchizedek tells Santiago about the baker's life because he wants Santiago to realize his Personal Legend and that he was about to give it all up by becoming a shepherd when he could go to Egypt and find treasure. Melchizedek wanted Santiago to realize that he has a bigger and brighter future in front of him, and that can genuinely travel the world.

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The sun and the wind play the role of showing Santiago what is to come in life. There are days and there are times when all may seem perfect, such as days that are sunny, and the weather is beautiful. Those are the kinds of days that his journey is on a good path. But there are also days and instances that may seem hard to pass, or violent, such as windy days. There are going to be situations that may seem perfect, such as meeting the merchant's daughter, or there may be violent, destructive factors on a day-to-day basis, such as being robbed and tricked by a con artist.

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In my opinion, I think that destiny exists to a certain extent but not as heavily as Melchizedek is trying to convey it to Santiago. I believe that most things in our lives happen for a reason and are meant to teach us certain things, and I also think that we may meet people in our lives for a reason. However, I don't think that our lives are planned out for us before we are born we are destined for a certain career or place to live. Finally, I feel like I have had moments in my life that are similar to what Melchizedek speaks of because of some of the people I have met here in STEM. I often feel like I have meet most of my friends now at desperate moments in my life where I needed someone to be there for me and teach me important lessons on meaningful friendships. 

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In my opinion, I think that destiny exists to a certain extent but not as heavily as Melchizedek is trying to convey it to Santiago. I believe that most things in our lives happen for a reason and are meant to teach us certain things, and I also think that we may meet people in our lives for a reason. However, I don't think that our lives are planned out for us before we are born we are destined for a certain career or place to live. Finally, I feel like I have had moments in my life that are similar to what Melchizedek speaks of because of some of the people I have met here in STEM. I often feel like I have meet most of my friends now at desperate moments in my life where I needed someone to be there for me and teach me important lessons on meaningful friendships. 

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An omen is a sign that can indicate whether or not something is either good for you or bad for you. Omens help you  understand the universal language and your personal legend better by acting as a guide to your soul's deepest desires. One omen that has appeared so far in the novel is the butterfly, that flies in between Melchizedek and Santiago as they are talking about pursuing your dreams. The butterfly helped prove to Santiago that he should follow his dreams. I don't think I've ever experienced anything that seemed like an omen.

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As a reader, we can tell that Santiago has many setbacks from things, such as from his lack of preparation. He experiences financial insecurity, being conned, being too trusting, and ending up trusting too many bad people. He faces these things to learn what he shouldn't do next time. He will learn from his mistakes and become wiser and more experienced. If this journey did go easily, the novel would be very boring and predictable.

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In my opinion, I don't know if is destiny is real. It just depends on what you believe in. I feel like this correlates with, fate vs. personal choice. I know people have over their own lives and I believe that fate creates the circumstances we face. Fate and personal choices can be called "destiny" at the end of someone's journey, destiny can just be the life someone ends up with.

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I believe that you can choose some parts of your life, but other things are just bound to happen. I believe that fate takes control of our lives because bad things happen that are not our fault and are not in our control.  As of now, I don't think I've ever experienced what Melchizedek speaks of.

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Fate is a concept made by humans where it states that a person's life is already determined no matter the choices they make, they still will end up on the same exact path. However, destiny is the life a person ends up with as a result of the decisions they have made throughout their life. The difference between the two is that once a person is controlled by fate they become overly dependent on it. They will no longer believe that their choices will affect their lives and therefore not care as much about the opportunities they have. However, if one is trying to discover their personal legend then they are making the decision and taking the lead in their life, being independent. The differences lie within the independence one has when discovering the destiny compared to the dependence felt being controlled by fate. For example, it can be considered that it was Santiago's fate to meet the King of Salem and travel to the pyramids in Egypt but it can also be considered to be his destiny because he decided to speak with the old man and sell his sheep to travel to the pyramids in Egypt.

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This quote represents the duality of the human mind as they can either victimize themselves or get up and carry on with their lives. Santiago decides to stop sulking over what it is lost as it is no benefit to him in a foreign country surrounded with foreign people. This relates to many people who always try to move on instead of focusing on the past while there are also people who tend to focus only on the past and the wrongdoings they endured. Through indirect characterization, we are shown that Santiago is not willing to give in to the circumstances he is faced with. We also see this when he decides to work for the crystal merchant to try to reclaim the money he lost. We also see he is willing to become a Shepard again as another way to gain money.

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I believe the gypsy meant that because God does not speak with humans that instead Gods communicates through dreams. Since God is considered to know everything then it explains why dreams usually contain a person's hopes and goals or it contains their fears because nightmares are considered dreams too. Dreams can also contain new events or circumstances that causes a person to become invested. We see this with Santiago as he dreams the same dream twice until he finally goes to the gypsy woman so that she can determine what his dreams mean.

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@Sara
I completely agree with you on the theme of Santiago's jacket and the deeper meaning it contains. I believe humans are to give up everything although it is hard for them but there will always be that one person or thing that they can not lose in their life. Even though, it could be considered to not be such a good quality to get too attached the majority of people still do. For example, we see Santiago give away his sheep, his chance to see the merchant's daughter, and his comfort zone to experience new events and to hopefully find a better life than the one he has been living.

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The difference between being controlled by fate and discovering one's "personal legend" or destiny is that being controlled by fate is where everything is already written out for you and whatever was written to happen will occur. There will be times where you will have to make decisions and choices, but whatever you choose, what will happen after is already determined. This is where everything happens for a reason takes place. Discovering one's "personal legend" or destiny is where you make your own choices throughout your life and you control everything with your decisions. You don't know what's going to happen and believe that it will be written as you go on to find your personal legend or destiny, which follow up as a result of your actions.

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What I think the gypsy meant when she said this was that God communicates with us through our own dreams. In our dreams, God may try to warn us indirectly or directly about something good or bad to come. It is a way for God to be able to reach us. The different stories or things that our dreams are about is what God may use to deliver a message.

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Discuss one of the symbols used in the novel. Identify the symbol and how it is used. How does the symbol affect the characters? the reader’s understanding of the book?

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Discuss one of the symbols used in the novel. Identify the symbol and how it is used. How does the symbol affect the characters? the reader’s understanding of the book?