Paulo
Coelho was born August 20 1947 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He is a brazillian
lyricist and novelist. He has become one the most famous author in the world
today. He is the recipient of numerous prestogious international award, one of
them is the Crystal Award by the World
Economic Forum and France’s Legion d’honneur.
Paulo
Coelho began to publish his first book when he was 38. His novel are Hell Archives ,The Pilgrimage, The
Alchemist, Brida, The Valkyries, Eleven Minutes, etc. In total, Coelho has
sold more than 150 million books over 150 countries and have translated into 71
languages. The unqiue thing is, he only writes a book when he has found a white
feather in the January of odd year.
One year later, Paulo dropped out and started drugs in the 1960’s. “In 1986, Coelho walked the 500 plus mile Road of Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain, a turning point in his life. On the path, Coelho had a spiritual awakening, which he described autobiographicalyy in The Pilgrimage” (Wikipedia). Santiago de Compostela itself is a site of Catholic pilgrimage. Coelho once stated in that year “I was very hapy in the things I was doing. I was doing something that gave me food and water to use the metaphor in The Alchemist, I was working, I had a person whom I loved, I had money, but I was not fulfilling my dream. My dream was, and stil is, to be a writer.” He also said “I always knew that my personal legend, to use a term from alchemy, was to write.”
Paulo Coelho has married with Christina
Oitica, an artist. They divide time between Brazil and France. In 1996, Coelho
founded the Paulo Coelho Institute, which proides aid to children and elderly
people with financial problems. On May 9, 2006, in Sofia, Bulgaria, Paulo Coelho was awarded
by the President of Bulgaria Georgi Parvanov the "The Honorable Award of the President of the
Republic"and in September, 2007, Coelho
was called as Messenger of Peace to the UN (United Nations).
Paulo
Coelho reached his peak popularity when he wrote a novel with a title The Alchemist. This novel really changes
Coelho’s life as a writer. This novel makes him so famous and popular,
translated into 71 languages, sold roughly 65 million copies, has made Paulo
Coelho as the most translated book in the world by living author, according to
Guinness Book World Record.
(Exposition)
The story of The Alchemist begins when
an Andalusian sheperd boy, Santiago, wants to be a wanderer. His parents do not
allow him at first, because they wish that their son could be a priest.
Becoming a priest is such a pride for his family—a poor farmer family. Besides,
Santiago had studied in Seminary for 16 years. But, Santiago himself is more
interested in knowing more about the world rather than God or humans’ sins.
Santiago still insists to be a wanderer, and finally that his Dad permits him
to go wandering.
One
night, in his initial journey, Santiago dreams about a child whom tells him
that if he goes to Pyramid in Egypt, he will find a treasure. When he comes to
a forecaster, gypsi lady, to interprete his dream, she says that he should go
to pyramid in Egypt, because there he will find a treasure. Later, Santiago meets
an old wise king from Salem, Melchizedek, who tells him to sell his sheeps, and
introduce him about Personal Legend and Soul of the World and gives him two
stones, black and white stones named Urim and Thummim (black for yes, white for
no). Nevertheless, Santiago must keep relying on his own decision. “Personal
legend is what you have always wanted to accomplish. Everyone, when they are
young, knows what their Personal Legend is" states Melchizedek. He also
says “At that point in their lives, everything is clear and everything is
possible. They are not afraid to dream, and to yearn for everything they would
like to see happen to them in their lives. But, as time passes, a mysterious
force begins to convince them that it will be impossible for them to realize
their Personal Legend….whoever you are, or whatever it is that you do, when you
really want something, it’s because that desire originated in the soul of the
world. It’s your mission on earth.” Those quotations later will inspire
Santiago to always continue his journey.
(Conflict)
Santiago’s journey is not easy as Santiago thought. He faces a lot of
obstacles, such as robbery in Tangier, the time when he can not speak any
single of Arabic. He wants to be back home, but later he decides to stay and
work in Crystal shop. After one year, he has already had enough money to buy
sheep and return home. However, he recalls what
Melchizedek said, then at the last minute, he makes up his mind to take
all risks and join caravan to Egypt.
In
the caravan, he meets an Englishman who tells him about the alchemist. When he
arrives in Al Fayoum oasis—the home for titular Alchemist, Santiago meets a
beautiful Arabic girl, Fatima. He falls in love. He discovers that love is like
Personal Legend, it comes from Soul of the World. There, Santiago is rewarded a
position as a counselor, for his deed in warning upcoming battle. It makes him
more settled living in Oasis. Therefore, Santiago is in two minds, between
staying in Oasis with Fatima or continue his personal legend to find treasue in
pryramid. But, the alchemist awakes him that he should pursue his personal
legend. The alchemist teaches Santiago to keep listen his heart also will lead
him to the treasure.
(suspense)
Stepping close to pyramid, Santiago and the alchemist are taken prisoner by
warring tribe. The alchemist says that Santiago is a magician, he can turn
himself into wind. To know that, the tribemen are impressed and promising will
let them free if they can prove it. Santiago has no idea what he is going to
do. But, after 3 days meditating, he asks the Soul of the World to ask the
elements to help him. First he asks the desert, then he asks the wind, after
that he asks the sun and, at last, he asks the Soul of the World. Immediately,
the wind whips up, and Santiago disappears and reappears on the other side of
the camp. Afterwards, the tribemen let them free.
(Surprise)
Afterthat, the alchemist shows the direction to pyramid and then leaves
Santiago himself to continue the journey. In pyramid, once again Santiago meets
robbers, they asks what Santiago’s intention coming there. Santiago answers
that he will seek treasure that buried there, as what his dream has said. One
of the robbers laughs at him, and says that he has had the exact same dream,
except that in his, the treasure was buried in Spain. At that time Santiago
realizes that the treasure is back in Spain the entire time.
(Ending)
Then, Santiago goes back to Spain. He digs the ground below the tree when he
got a dream about treasure. Voila, he finds a chest full of gold—enough for him
and Fatima. The he says to himself “I am coming Fatima”
From
the story of The Alchemist which
takes place in Andalusia (Spain) and Egypt (Africa) we can conclude that the
stor is about understanding life, especially to understand our Personal Legend
(dream). The theme is about pursuit of Personal Legend. As we can meet in the
novel that the story tells about Santiago struggle to get his Personal Legend.
He must allow his wealth, sheep and leave Fatima for his Personal Legend.
In the story also, we will find some symbols, eg the alchemist, Personal Legend, Urim Thummim, Melchizedek from Salem, and Soul of the World. The alchemist as the one who can changes base metal into more valuable metal symbolizes Santiago’s journey to achieve his Personal Legend. As Santiago undergoes, his journey to reach Personal Legend has turned him into more valuable person—a person who can fulfill what his trully desire—travels to the Pyramid, learns about life, dream, and love and then getting gold. Personal Legend represents dream—a heart calling—something that every person has. Melchizedek from Salem—Melchizedek in the book of genesis is a king of Salem. Salem is another name of Jerussalem. Salem is semitic root of š-l-m means safe, peace, as shalom in Hebrew which means peace. Therefore, Melchizedek symbolize the God messenger from city of God (Jerusalem) to help the dreamer whom is in process to pursue dream (Personal Legend). As novel says “because every second of the search is a second's encounter with God and with eternity” . Soul of the Universe symbolizes spiritual unity which binds all natural elements and human beings into one spirit. This spirit will lead the dreamer to understand that by Soul of the World he can make all elements in the world conspires him to get his one goal: achieving dream. This symbol is reflected when Santiago has to transform himself into wind in front of tribemen whom prison him and the alchemist, he asks help to Soul of the World to ask the elements (desert, wind, sun) to help him. Then he finally change into wind. This is also emphasizing the quotation from Melchizedek (“when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it"). Urim and Thummim is a medium to help Jews to make divination who is wrong, who is right. It was usually used by Spritual leader of Jew. The use of Urim and Thummim can be known in Samuel 14:41 ‘ Therefore Saul said, “O Lord God of Israel, why have you not answered your servant this day? If this guilt is in me or in Jonathan my son, O Lord, God of Israel, give Urim. But if this guilt is in your people Israel, give Thummim. And Jonathan and Saul were taken, but the people escaped’. Therefore, in the story Urim and Thummim symbolizes the God’s help if Santiago can not find the answer or can not decide.
The
Alchemist uses limited omniscient point of view. Coelho as the author tells the
story from the point view point of Santiago. As written here “The boy mumbled
an answer that allowed him to avoid responding to her question. He was sure the
girl would never understand”. Meanwhile, if we are talking about characters,
there are several characters inside Santiago, King Melchizedek from Salem, the
alchemist, Fatima, and the gypsi lady. Santiago is round protagonist. He mostly
acts kind during the story, but sometimes he does wrong thing such as being
hopeless such as when he lose his sheep he almost gives up to be back home and
let his Personal Legend away. King melchizedek is flat protagonist because he
helps Santiago to gain his dream by giving wise suggestions. The alchemist is
protagonist because he leads Santiago where the treasure lies. Fatima is also
flat protagonist because she convinces Santiago to always recall his Personal
Legend, she is sincere to be left by Santiago though she loves him so much.
Unlike, the 4 characters that have been mentioned before, a gypsi lady is
antagonist because she is such a money minded, she does not want to interpret
his dream except he gives her one tenth of the treasure.
After
reading the novel, I can draw conlusion that this story provides us a message
that to be really we are, we should fulfill our dream, because it is our heart
calling, our treasure. As once states in novel
“ ‘Why we must listen our heart?” asked the boy while they were building tent that day
“Because wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure’ ”. Do not have to be afraid of being failed because God and universe will support us, as stated “Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second's encounter with God and with eternity”.
“ ‘Why we must listen our heart?” asked the boy while they were building tent that day
“Because wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure’ ”. Do not have to be afraid of being failed because God and universe will support us, as stated “Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second's encounter with God and with eternity”.
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