The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

First published:O Alquimista, 1988 (English translation, 1993)

Type of work: Novel

Type of plot: Fable and Magical Realism

Time of plot: Undetermined

Locale: Andalusia, Spain; Africa; Egypt

Principal characters

• The alchemist, a spiritual messenger
• Santiago, a sheepherder
• Melchizedek, the king of Salem
• The Englishman, a spiritual messenger

The Story:

In Andalusia, Spain, a shepherd boy, Santiago, decides to sleep in an abandoned church that has no roof but has a sycamore tree growing from within. Aside from a herd of sheep, Santiago’s only property is a jacket and one book, which he uses as a pillow. The next morning, he begins his journey to the village where he plans on selling his sheep’s wool.

Stopping briefly in Tarifa, Santiago visits a fortune-teller for help in interpreting a recurring dream. In the dream, he is in a field with his sheep when a child appears. The child takes Santiago’s hands and transports him to the Egyptian pyramids, telling him along the way that there is a hidden treasure there. At this point in the dream, Santiago awakens. The soothsayer advises him to travel to the pyramids to find this treasure.

While reading his book, Santiago meets an old man, professing to be Melchizedek, the king of Salem. The king encourages Santiago to seek his Personal Legend, and he explains that when a person wants something, that desire arises from the Soul of the World. Melchizedek tells Santiago that the treasure he is looking for is near the Egyptian pyramids and that he will have to follow the omens to find it. The old man gives him two stones, Urim and Thummim, to consult in case he has trouble interpreting the signs.

Santiago sells his flock and travels through Tangier, Africa, where he is swindled out of his money. Upset, he asks the two stones if he will find the treasure. In reply, the stones fall to the earth. Santiago interprets this as a positive sign, reaffirming his faith. Resuming his travel, he happens upon a crystal shop and offers to work in exchange for food. Intent on returning home some day, Santiago asks to continue working at the shop to earn the money to buy a flock of sheep, and the merchant agrees. Santiago earns the needed money to return home, though he decides instead to resume his journey to the pyramids.

On his way to the pyramids, Santiago meets an Englishman in search of an Arab alchemist living in Al-Fayoum. The alchemist is said to possess exceptional powers. As the boy is holding Urim and Thummim, the Englishman produces two similar stones from his pocket, which Santiago interprets as a favorable omen. The Englishman and Santiago board a caravan that is crossing the desert, but the ride is arduous because tribal wars have been waged. They arrive safely at an oasis and begin their stay as guests there until the threat of war is over.

While at the oasis, Santiago sees a hawk, prompting a vision of an army attacking the oasis. Because the oasis is a safe zone, he doubts his own vision, yet he tells the camel driver, who instructs him to notify the chieftain. The chieftain declares that everyone shall carry arms. He then promises that for every ten enemies Santiago kills, Santiago will receive a piece of gold. If Santiago does not use a weapon by the end of the following day, one will be used against him. He accepts whatever fate God will bestow upon him.

After the meeting, Santiago is faced with a powerful desert messenger, the alchemist, who demands to know why he read the omen that the hawk delivered. Santiago replies that he was meant to save the oasis. The next morning the oasis is attacked, but the intruders are killed. In payment, Santiago receives fifty gold pieces. The alchemist agrees to guide Santiago to the treasure the next evening, and on their seventh day of travel, tells Santiago that if he listens to his heart, he will find the treasure. Santiago remembers the proverb, “the darkest hour of the night came just before the dawn.”

Before long, the alchemist and Santiago are caught and taken to a nearby military camp. The alchemist gives the chief Santiago’s gold coins and tells him that the boy is an alchemist. When asked what the boy can do, he replies that he could destroy their camp by becoming the wind. Santiago is afraid, but the alchemist instructs him not to let his fear overtake him.

On the third day, the boy brings his captors to a cliff. He then asks the desert for help in producing wind. The desert agrees, but tells him to also ask the wind, who directs Santiago to ask Heaven for help. The boy agrees, but says he needs the wind to make a sandstorm to block the sun so he will not be blinded. The chief is enthralled as the sand begins to whirl about. Santiago realizes that his soul is one with God and that he can perform miracles. Along with the alchemist, Santiago is released.

Shortly after, the alchemist and Santiago enter a monastery near the pyramids. The alchemist turns lead into gold to show the boy that it is possible to reach one’s Personal Legend. He splits the gold into four parts: one for himself, one for the monk, one for the boy, and the last to be held in trust at the monastery in case Santiago needs it in the future.

The boy travels on alone and, as he listens to his heart, is told to beware of the place that will bring him to tears. Finally, at the top of a dune, he sees the pyramids. The boy weeps as he begins to dig. Soon, several war refugees approach him for money. They search his bag and find the alchemist’s gold piece; thinking he uncovered it in the sand, they force him to dig for more. When none is found, they beat him. At last, the boy tells the refugees that he did not find the gold in the sand; he then tells them of his journey and the treasure. The leader calls Santiago a fool and confesses that he, too, had a dream that told him to travel in search of treasure. His dream had directed him to a ruined church in Spain, where a treasure is buried within a sycamore tree’s roots. The leader tells Santiago that he himself had not been not stupid enough to travel all this way because of a dream. After he leaves, the boy realizes where the treasure has always been.

Some time later, the boy arrives at the abandoned church. He digs with a shovel at the sycamore’s roots. He marvels at God’s strange way of showing him where the treasure is and realizes that the alchemist intentionally left the bit of gold at the monastery so he could afford to return home. He hears the alchemist’s voice on the wind telling him that he never would have seen the beauty of the pyramids had he simply been told where the treasure is buried. Santiago finds a chest of gold coins, precious stones, and other items and realizes that life is generous to those who follow their Personal Legend.

Bibliography

Coelho, Paulo. “The Beyond Is Accessible to Those Who Dare.” UNESCO Courier 51, no. 3 (March, 1998): 34-37. This interview with Coelho focuses on his thoughts about the spirituality of and themes in The Alchemist. It also addresses how some of his own life influenced his feelings about how and what to write. Also addresses why people should pursue their goals.

‗‗‗‗‗‗‗. “The Coming of Age of a Brazilian Phenomenon.” Interview by Glauco Ortolano. World Literature Today 77, no. 1 (2003): 57-59. Coelho discusses his writing technique and the motivations behind his works. A brief but helpful article.

Hart, Stephen M. “Cultural Hybridity, Magical Realism, and the Language of Magic in Paulo Coelho’s The Retrieve.” Romance Quarterly 51, no. 4 (Fall, 2004): 304-312. Although focused on a different Coelho novel, this essay examines the evolution of the genre of Magical Realism and its application to his works. Also discusses how Coelho’s works reflect Magical Realism.

Morais, Fernando. Paulo Coelho. New York: HarperCollins, 2009. This biography includes a time line of Coelho’s life with facts that detail how he rediscovered his faith and immersed himself in a life of simplicity.

Weeks, Linton. “Paulo Coelho: At Peace with the Inexplicable.” The Washington Post, September 27, 2004. This newspaper article addresses Coelho’s popularity with his readers and gives specifics regarding his life experiences. In particular, Weeks examines Coelho’s personal growth as a writer.