The alchemist study

Al-Fayoum

A depression or basin in the desert immediately to the west of the Nile south of Cairo.

Narcissus

A figure who rumored to have been an attractive young man.

Pilgrimmage

A journey taken to holy sites to strengthen religious faiths.

Sking Melchizedek

A king and priest referred to in the bible who provides wine and bread.

According to the King, what is a Personal Legend?

A personal legend is what a person wants to accomplish most in life. It is very much easier for younger people to recognize their personal legends.

Andalusia

A region of Southwest Spain

What does The Alchemist say when Santiago tries to thank him for teaching him the Language of the World?

"I only invoked what you already knew." This is significant because the Alchemist is telling Santiago he has everything he needs inside of him to complete the journey, and that he had it all along.

Write a paragraph about Santiago's Personal Legend.

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Write a paragraph about the lessons that Santiago learned on his journey.

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When Santiago meets The Alchemist, he wants to give up his journey and remain at the oasis. He believes he has already found his treasure. What does this treasure include according to Santiago?

According to Santiago, the treasure is not a physical thing, it's everything that he's found and learned along this journey to find the treasure.

Santiago is an educated young man who wants to learn the Language of the World. He has come to realize in the first part of the novel that there is a language that goes beyond speaking and writing. The language without words is the same language he uses with his sheep. What are some of the literal and figurative languages that Santiago realizes he has learned by the time he completes his first year of work for the crystal merchant?

Arabic, Spanish, language of enthusiasm, if he could conquer Tangier then he could conquer the world.

Specific words can carry a deep meaning. The crystal merchant introduced Santiago to the Arabic word maktub (it is written). This is mentioned at several important moments in the story. Why do you think he speaks this word when he and Santiago part ways? (61)

As Santiago begins his quest, he is relaxed with the reassurance that all of his actions are in the context of fate which God has written. As Santiago learns, fate always cooperates with those who pursue their Personal Legends, so as long as he remains focused on his goal, he can be at ease because his destiny has already been written.

According to the Alchemist, every search starts with Beginner's Luck. How does every search end? What does this foreshadow for Santiago?

Every search ends with an obstacle. He had major beginner's luck, but now he is being tested by all these things being thrown at him.

Once Santiago believes he understands his heart, what agreements does he ask of it, and what does he promise it in return?

He asks of his heart to never stop beating and to never stop speaking. He thinks it speaks to him, in return he will never stop going, he will listen to it always.

Why do you think he made the choice to leave the seminary after learning to read and write?

He chose to leave after learning to read and write, because he will get farther by having the learning skills.

What difficult choice does Santiago make when he meets the crystal merchant?

He must choose to continue working for him, but this is taking time away from his quest for treasure If he does not he won't get food or shelter for his journey.. He decides to stay and work for him even though he could never make enough money in a year to cross the desert and make it to the pyramids.

The novel opens with the main character thinking about his sheep. What does he observe about their existence? How might the sheep symbolize the way some people live their lives?

He observes that they go the same thing and they're not very exciting. This symbolizes that some people mess around in life while other people do things to make something of their life.

How does Santiago's father react when his son tells him that he wants to travel?(p.9) What does he say about travellers?

He reacts pretty good, he says travellers just want to come and hang around in other people's lives.

How do Santiago's thoughts and perceptions about himself and the world begin to change on pp. 42-44?

He realizes that everyone has their own personal legend. He also realizes that there is a language that goes beyond words after he understands a boy who doesn't speak Spanish. He thinks that if he can understand the language, then he can understand the rest of the world.

What is the lie in Santiago's book according to the old man?

He says that the biggest lie is that fate controls our lives more than we do.

Why does the gypsy woman say that Santiago's dream is difficult to interpret?

His dream is difficult to interpret because it is about the simple things in life.

Describe Santiago's Dream. What does the old fortune teller tell him it means?

In Santiago's dream, he is in a field with his sheep when a child starts to play with them. A child grabs Santiago's hands and transports him to the pyramids in Egypt, then tells him that he will find a treasure near them. The Child starts to say the location of treasure, Santiago wakes up. Santiago's dream is related to his own personal legend and desire to grow and thrive.

Explain why the main character's jacket could be both a blessing and a curse. The jacket is considered a symbol for the hero's journey. Make an inference as to what the jacket may symbolize.

It can be a blessing and a curse because it will weigh him down at times and then will lift him up at other times. The jacket symbolizes food because you might need it.

What is the principle of favorability?

It is "beginner's luck,"

The old man tells Santiago that he often appears in people's lives just at the moment they are about to give up on their destiny. What are some of the guises he takes?

Most of the time, the old man emerges as a solution.

What vision does Santiago have when he witnesses the hawks in the desert? What conclusion does he draw from the vision?

Santiago remembers Melchizedek's advice to heed omens, so he tells the camel driver about his vision. The camel driver takes Santiago's warning seriously because he believes that all people can penetrate to the Soul of the World. The camel driver considers how seers make their living by understanding the Soul of the World, and recalls a time when a seer asked him why he wanted to know the future.

Why did Santiago have to go through the dangers of the tribal wars on the outskirts of the oasis in order to reach the Pyramids? At this point, the boy remembers the old proverb:"The darkest hour of the night came just before the dawn." How does this apply to his situation now? At the end of the journey, why did the alchemist leave Santiago alone to complete it?

Santiago had to go through these obstacles because he he has to face his fears and endure trials to fulfill his Personal Legend. The proverb relates to his situation right now because he is at his darkest hour. He is being faced h=with challenging obstacles at his last test to get his treasure and Personal Legend. The alchemist must leave him alone because every person's journey is an individual one; no one can help you realize your own dreams.

During his trek through the desert with the alchemist, Santiago is told of many basic truths. The alchemist says," There is only one way to learn. It's through action. Everything you need to know you have learned through your journey" (p.125). What are some of the things Santiago has learned through action?

Santiago learns many lessons about himself and his abilities. One of them is when the Alchemist explains that each person's heart emerges from the Soul of the World. Santiago's heart connects him to the Soul of the World, Santiago must learn to listen to it properly.

What does Santiago realize about the wind (p.27) How does this help him on his journey?

Santiago realizes that the wind is increasing quickly. This helps him realize that he has a difficult choice to make and he decides to continue on his search for treasure.

Santiago explains to the sun why alchemy exists and what alchemists do. What does he say?

Santiago talks about how alchemy exists so that everyone will search for their treasure. Alchemists show that, when we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better, too. The Alchemist smiled. "The men were terrified at his sorcery. But there were two people who were smiling: the alchemist, because he had found his perfect disciple, and the chief, because that disciple had understood the glory of God. The following day, the general bade the boy and the alchemist farewell, and provided them with an escort party to accompany them as far as they chose.

A wind that blows through the desert and destroys everything in it's past.

Simum

The Alchemist persuades Santiago to sell his camel and buy a horse. The next night he takes he takes Santiago into the desert and gives him a second test. What is the task and what skills is being tested in this task?

The Alchemist tells Santiago that his treasure will remain buried, and that he will regret not looking for it. He says that Santiago will no longer recognize omens or be able to see the clues that the universe unfolds to him.

Who is the foil character?

The Englishman

What information do Santiago and the Englishman exchange? What do they learn?

The Englishman shares wisdom with Santiago and is a friendly acquaintance throughout the long journey. The Englishman studies alchemy, and he helps Santiago by introducing him to it. The alchemist is the man who understands the universal language, according to the Englishman.

A foil character is one who contrasts the main character. Why can we describe the Englishman as a foil character?

The englishman is a foil for Santiago in that they are both trying to achieve the same goal and go about this is different ways. Both of them are attempting alchemy, but Santiago believes he will find his treasure by observing the world around him and reading the omens. He also learns by meeting the people along his journey. The Englishman is trying to learn alchemy by studying boos and finding an alchemist that he heard about in the desert.

Why does the Englishman refer to as the "principle of the Soul of the World? How does this connect to the caravan and the desert?

The englishman is referred to at the "principle of the Soul of the World" because he has found it and knows about it. The connection between the caravan and the desert is very similar. They connect the caravan and the desert because the desert is like bloody war, its very dangerous. The caravan is a dangerous way of travel.

The Alchemist places Santiago in the center of a dangerous situation when he tells the chief and his men that Santiago is an alchemist who can turn himself into the wind. Why would he do that?

The first group of men laughed at him because they didn't know what it was and there aren't many alchemist's. When they run into more men, he tells him that he's an alchemist. They told them that Santiago is an alchemist because they know that they won't believe him. He's doing it to test Santiago because he is getting close to being able to perform this unknown magic.

The Alchemist says that for the boy to find his treasure he must listen to his heart. Why does the Alchemist feel that the heart is more important, or more trustworthy, than the mind? How and why is the heart able to understand things the mind can't grasp?

The heart gives us dreams. Dreams in the sense of "goals" or "aspirations" constitute a major themes in the story. Santiago's dream of the treasure provides him with a goal; Santiago resolves to find the treasure, and by his decision to pursue this goal he is able to realize his Personal Legend. Thus, Coelho plays with the dual meanings of the word "dream", as both visions during slumber and far-reaching objectives.

Who finally shows Santiago how the find The Alchemist? Why is this significant?

The horseman, who ends up being the Alchemist, points Santiago in the South direction to find him. It is significant because Santiago does not trust his senses when he first sees the horseman.

How does the King assist Santiago in recognizing omens? When does Santiago use this help?

The king gives Santiago two stones to ask objective questions. He uses them after he was robbed in Africa.

What lessons does Santiago learn by working at the crystal shop? How does the crystal merchant's explanation for not taking the pilgrimage to Mecca (p.55) highlight the difference between Santiago and the merchant? What effect does the merchant say Santiago has had on him?

The lessons that Santiago learns is he needs to be persistent in fulfilling his personal legend and he also learners through the words and inaction of the crystal merchant. Coelho chose the crystal merchant because he wants to showcase the different paths a person may choose in life. Whereas Santiago feels eager to pursue his Personal Legend and rach Egypt, the crystal merchant fears pursuing his own dream his own dream to make a pilgrimage to Mecca because he worries he will having nothing to live for afterward. Santiago's presences has allowed him to understand that he down not know how to deal with change, something that is often difficult for many people in the world to face and accept.

What is the name of the main character? What does he do for a living and for how long? What is the name of the region he is in at the beginning of the novel?

The main character is Santiago, he's a shepard, he's done it for about two years, and he's in Andalusia.

At the beginning, Santiago thinks the old man might be a gypsy like the woman. How does the old man gain Santiago's trust?

The man gains Santiago's trust by drawing names of people that he knows and things he has never told anyone in the sand. The old man new that Santiago wanted the merchant's daughter.

The old man tells Santiago the story about the miner and the emerald on p. 24. How does it connect to Santiago's situation? What does he mean when he says that "treasure is uncovered by the force of flowing water, and it is buried by the same currents"? What does this quote have to do with the miner/emerald story?

The miner is searching for what that he believes is his personal legend. Sometimes in life the thing that brings you to search for your treasure can be the thing that breaks down your strive to get it.

The Englishman and his goals are described on pp.65-70. What is he looking for? What does he demonstrate to Santiago that he already knows?

The one tree language of the universe, the Philosopher's stone, the alchemist. everyone learns differently.

What point does the old man's story about the boy in the castle and the drops of oil (p.30-32) make? How might this story apply to us in our modern lives?

The point of the story is that Santiago needed to watch both the oil and the sights. It is nearly impossible to have seen all the beauty of the house and not spill a drop, but in real life people need to have a balance to be able to experience beauty not just in our destinations but the journey as well.

Why do you think the alchemist tells Santiago the story about the man's dream about the two sons (the poet and the soldier) on p. 156?

The story that the alchemist tells Santiago about Emperor Tiberius and his sons appears to hold the lesson that, although a person may not have a destiny he expects or even desires, if that person acts in accordance with his own desires, he will serve a purpose greater than himself. Just like the Narcissus story from the beginning of The Alchemist, this story takes a well-known narrative, this time a story from the Bible, and adds another dimension to it, giving it a new meaning in the context of the novel.

Why is it significant to the story that Santiago's treasure is not buried at the pyramids but back in Spain at the abandoned church where his journey began?

The treasure was not actually what he would find under the tree in Spain. The treasure was what he himself became in pursuit of it. Alchemy is to evolve lead into Gold. We are the lead and what we evolve into when we chase our personal legend is the Gold that we find.

Levanter

The wind

Earlier in the story, the alchemist told Santiago "when you possess great treasures within you, and try to tell others of them, seldom are you believed." At the end of the story, how did this simple lesson change Santiago's life? How did it lead him back to the treasure he was looking for?

This lesson at the end of the story is used greatly because when the alchemist told the men that Santiago was an alchemist, they didn't believe him, which saved him. Santiago recognized the place the renegade described because it is the precise spot where he'd had his dream about the Pyramids. Santiago returned to Spain and found his treasure at last.

How does Santiago feel when he meets Fatima? How does Santiago believe his reunion with Fatima represents the Language of the World? Each encounter that Santiago has presents him with an opportunity for personal growth. What does Fatima think about his journey? What lesson does this teach him?

When Santiago first meets Fatima he is shocked , he couldn't move. It's love at first sight. He believes that their reunion represents the Language of the World because it is described at love. Fatima thinks that this is crazy. She would rather him stay in her oasis. This lesson teaches him to never trust women or fall in love.

scabbard

a sheath that covers a sword

Primitive

elating to, denoting, or preserving the character of an early stage in the evolutionary or historical development of something.

infidel

someone without religious beliefs