The

Alchemist
Paulo Coelho
(1993)

Christian Jay A. Sari

April 2025
 The Alchemist
Paulo Coelho

Brazilian author Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist was first published in

Portuguese in 1988 with the title O Alquimista. The English translation was published

in 1993. A young Andalusian shepherd named Santiago goes out to find a personal

legend and realize his aspirations, and the book narrates his trip. Santiago

encounters a variety of people and has experiences that influence how he perceives

the world and himself, all set against the bright and mystical view of the Spanish

desert. The narrative, which tackles concepts of nature, personal legends, and

dangers of fear, is filled with symbolism and allegory. Alchemy, which aimed to

change base metals into gold and achieve spiritual enlightenment, is one of the

intellectual and spiritual traditions. Coelho skillfully combines these components to

create a story that appeals to people everywhere and cuts over cultural barriers.

The book's extending popularity can be credited to its timeless topics and simple yet

helpful style. Regarding its relevance today, The Alchemist has encouraged readers

to think about their own paths, follow their passions, and welcome the unknown. The

novel is a beloved and highly recommended work because of its timeless message

of following one's heart and achieving personal fulfillment.

The novel can be analyzed through existentialist criticism, as it explores

themes of freewill, personal choices, and the search if meaning in life. Santiago, the

protagonist, implies that he is not born with fixed purpose but must create his own

decision and own destiny. At the beginning, he is a shepherd with own life state, but

his dream pushes him to seek greater purpose. Along his journey he faces obstacles

and challenges, including fear, doubt, material loss, but he chose to persist,
reflecting to Sartre's belief that individual define themselves through actions.

Additionally, Albert Camus concept of the foolish, applies to Santiago's exploration,

he seeks meaning in a world that offers no guarantees, but he embraces the journey

despite uncertainty. The novel ultimately connects to reality. As Santiago realizes

that his true treasure lies not in gold but in the knowledge of change gained through

his "Personal Legend". The story is about self-determination, proving life's meaning

is not given but created to one's choices and experiences.

Paulo Coelho's novel reflects to his own life journey, where he is finding the

meaning of his life. Like Santiago, Coelho struggled with societal expectations, his

parent doesn't want him to be a writer, even isolated him as a teenager. His spiritual

belief came during his 1986 pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago, which inspired

the novel theme of self-discovery and destiny. He believes that personal's legend

reflects to Santiago's finding the treasure, just like obstacles and failure that is part of

achieving one's true purpose. His interest in mysticism, alchemy, and existential

thought influenced the novel's symbolic elements such as omens and the soul of the

world. Furthermore, The Alchemist serve as a reflection of Coelho's own life journey,

one of perseverance, faith and pursuit of dreams.

This novel is a treasure for me. The Alchemist is a good and the storytelling is

easy to follow and understand. The novel shows that our journey to our destiny is

important as the destiny itself. This book appeals to everyone since we all have

dreams and sometimes, we just want to someone to tell us that they may come true.

The language is so easy to understand and the content is amazing. Nature is the

greatest power but it also has some limitations. The events are magical. This is a

story that tell us that nature is absolutely soulful. One of the greatest hindrances I
can say is fear. The fear of failure stops us to live and get our dreams. It is a great

victory for us to overcome our fear.

In conclusion, The Alchemist, a Brazilian novel by Paulo Coelho, follows the

journey of a young Andalusian shepherd named Santiago, who embarks on a quest

to find a personal legend and realize his aspirations. The story is set against the

mystical view of the Spanish desert, and is filled with symbolism and allegory. The

novel is inspired by the intellectual and spiritual tradition of alchemy, which aimed to

transform base metals into gold and achieve spiritual enlightenment. Coelho skillfully

combines these elements to create a story that appeals to people everywhere and

cuts across cultural barriers. The Alchemist has a timeless message of following

one's heart and achieving personal fulfillment, and its relevance today can be

attributed to its timeless topics and simple yet helpful style. The novel can be

analyzed through existentialist criticism, as it explores themes of freewill, personal

choices, and the search for meaning in life. The Alchemist serves as a reflection of

Coelho's own life journey, one of perseverance, faith, and the pursuit of dreams.
Reference/s

The Alchemist: Suggested Essay Topics | SparkNotes. (n.d.). SparkNotes.

The Alchemist: Sparklet Chapter Summaries | SparkNotes. (n.d.). SparkNotes.

The Alchemist: Study Guide | SparkNotes. (n.d.). SparkNotes.