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Essay / Personal Legend in The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Table of ContentsIntroductionPersonal Legend and Development in The AlchemistSantiago's Call to AdventureChallenges of Santiago's Personal LegendConclusionReferencesIntroductionThe heroic journey appears in almost every story ever written. Throughout the story, the main character develops, faces diversity and overcomes it most of the time. The character is always more affected by certain stages than others. It's hard to understand, and people seem to understand character development but don't know how each stage affects the character differently, and how much they change throughout the stages of their personal lore. The Alchemist shows the 12 stages of the heroic journey through the main character, Santiago, as he embarks on his personal legend. In the book, Santiago's whole life is changed when he takes 3 small steps in his life journey. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Personal Legend and Development in The Alchemist Santiago's dream changed his life forever. He didn't know it at the time, but this dream would affect him in many ways. The call to adventure in the story is probably where he changed the most. He is a shepherd who lives in a field with his sheep, when suddenly his speech is disturbed by a dream he has. He wonders what this dream means and can't stop thinking about it. When he has the same dream for the second time, he knows it's time to act. The famous essayist Henry David Thoreau said, “You cannot imagine yourself becoming a character; you have to hammer it out and make one” (“Goodreads”). Santiago knew that to know what his dream was trying to tell him, he had to act. The dream called him to go on an adventure. His heart knew what he wanted, but his brain had no idea what it was. He wanted to know, and if he wanted to find it, he had to sink his teeth into the person his heart wanted him to find. Budda once said: “No one saves us except ourselves. No one can and no one can. We must walk the path ourselves” (“BrainyQuote”). Santiago knows he will have to take certain actions to find out what his dream is about, but he doesn't expect the kind of adventure that will follow him. The gypsy helps him interpret, she shocks him with the results and tells him what he must do. He must go to the Pyramids to find his treasure. He doesn't like the idea of stopping his shepherd lifestyle and feels uncomfortable making this journey because it turns his world upside down. Budda shows that if he ever wants to achieve his life goal/personal legend, he will have to go for it. There is simply no other way. Author Jose N. Harris once said, “When you find your way, you must ignore fear. You have to have the courage to risk mistakes. But once you’re on that road…run, run, run, and don’t stop until you reach the end” (“Goodreads”). When Santiago learns that he must go to the pyramids, he doesn't know how to react. He is very afraid of what could happen to him. He simply needs to put this fear behind him and focus on achieving his personal legend. He found the path he needed to follow and wants to follow it to the end. Santiago's call to adventure has a big impact in his world, and he knows it will be greatly changed by his next steps in life. Santiago's Call to Adventure The meeting with the mentor changes Santiago greatly, as does the call to adventure. The king teaches him so many things that he would have no direction without him. THEKing explains to him how he helps people with their personal legends and helps them realize their legend. Santiago is given the elements of the Urim and Thummim to help guide him along the path. These elements help Santiago in some important moments of his journey to the pyramids. They also help him remember all the things the king teaches him during their time together. The information taught to him is more valuable than the advice of the stones themselves, and he benefits greatly from the king's teachings. The king gives him advice, wisdom and confidence during their short days of conversation. He receives the appropriate advice to make his journey successful. He is taught the ways of the world and how not to be deceived by people like the gypsies. The most important aspect of meeting the mentor is that he becomes confident in his decision and is ready to begin his journey to the pyramids and find his purpose. He is taught that even if he doesn't know it, he has full control over what he ends up doing. He has the option of not realizing his personal legend, and the option of completing it, and the outcome depends entirely on him. The Persian king told Santiago: “At a certain point in our lives we lose control of what happens to us, and our lives are controlled by destiny. It’s the biggest lie in the world’” (Coelho 18). The king teaches him that he can control everything in his life. It gives him the confidence to fulfill his legend and undertake his journey. Santiago is really unsure of himself and doesn't think he wants to make his trip to the pyramids. The meeting with the king gave Santiago a whole new perspective on the situation. He was taught that his personal legend is to go to the pyramids, but that he does not have to complete it if he chooses otherwise. His life is not controlled by fate and he can choose to do whatever he wants. This reassures him that if he makes good decisions, he will be able to complete his personal legend. Santiago had learned that his life was controlled by destiny and that nothing happened on its own. Famous martial arts teacher Bruce Lee once said: "If you follow the classical model, you understand routine, tradition, shadow - you don't understand yourself" ("GoodReads"). Santiago wanted to follow the model, continue shepherding and stay in his lodge, where he felt comfortable. He doesn't understand his heart yet. He needs to see that his heart knows what he wants and will show him the way if he is willing to listen. The king really helps him understand this by giving him the Urim and Thummim because it makes him listen to his heart and see what he wants. This shows him that when he listens to his heart, he will be able to make decisions and take the right path. When he is able to come out of the shadows and truly listen to himself and only himself, that is when he finally understands himself. . The king also teaches him that “the secret of happiness is to see all the wonders of the world and never forget the drops of oil on the spoon” (Choelo 32). When the king uses the story of the kid and the spoon of oil, Santiago is initially slightly confused. The child was so focused on the oil the first time he went around the castle that he didn't see anything around him, but the second time he focused too much on his surroundings and lost the oil. The king helps Santiago understand that he must be able to focus on his destination but also never forget what his goal is. He learns that he must find balance and focus on both things at once. The destination may be important, but the journey is just as important as the destination. If Santiago focuses too much on. 2023.