THE ALCHEMIST - PAULO COELHO

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:QUES: 1:-How does the story of Narcissus relate to the broader message of The Alchemist?

ANS: The myth of Narcissus usually ends when Narcissus becomes so thoroughly entranced by his own reflection that he falls in the lake and drowns. In the novels version of the myth, however, we learn that the lake felt upset because Narcissus died, since it enjoyed looking at its own reflection in Narcissuss eyes. This version of the myth presents a more complicated picture of vanity than the original. As opposed to being an undesirable trait that leads to death, vanity appears to be an entirely natural characteristic, so much so that the lake displays it. Like the introductory Narcissus story, The Alchemist itself has a message that focusing on oneself can connect a person to nature and the spiritual world. Only through single-mindedly pursuing his own Personal Legend does Santiago learn the secrets of the Soul of the World, for instance. Throughout the book, Santiago must put his own interests first repeatedly, as when he chooses to be a shepherd rather than a priest and when he leaves the oasis to continue on his journey. But through disregarding everything but his own dream, Santiago realizes his true potential. In this way, he penetrates to the Soul of the World. QUES: 2:- What attitude does The Alchemist take toward romantic love? ANS: Unlike many popular literary tales, The Alchemist initially presents love not as a goal, but as an obstacle. Santiago says his initial love of the merchants daughter acts as the only thing that makes him want to stay in one place forever. This desire stands in direct opposition to the journey he must complete in order to fulfill his Personal Legend. When Santiago finds his true love, Fatima, in the oasis, he feels even more convinced to abandon his Personal Legend. Fatima and the alchemist must show Santiago that his dream holds more importance than staying with her. This picture of love is unique compared to traditional illustrations of romantic love. For one, this love is completely distinct from possession. Santiago has a significant internal dialogue about this distinction, and he puts it to the test when he leaves Fatima. Love, in The Alchemist, is also secondary to pursuing ones Personal Legend. As the alchemist tells Santiago, Santiagos love for Fatima will only survive if he continues living out his Personal Legend so that he will have no regrets later. Despite these facts, which seem to downplay the importance of love, Fatimas kiss serves as the final image of the book, suggesting that love remains necessary for Santiago to live a contented life.

QUES: 3:- What is the attitude of The Alchemist towards material wealth and individualism, and how does it differ from major world religions in this regard? ANS: Unlike many religions, The Alchemist does not draw a distinction between the material and the spiritual world. The book also espouses individuality as a means for achieving the ultimate goals of creation. Additionally, elements of pantheism appear throughout the book. For one, Santiago communicates and finds omens in natural entities such as the desert and the wind. The alchemist says that these elements have Personal Legends just like humans do, and that they were also born from the Soul of the World. The alchemist also associates the process of purifying metal into gold with spiritual purification. The books dominant strain of evolutionary spirituality appears most clearly when Santiago tries to turn himself into the wind. In the context of the novel, when a natural element or individual pursues a Personal Legend, it will evolve into a higher state of being. The goal of creation consists of all nature, humans and inanimate objects included, undergoing this evolution until the universe achieves perfection. This philosophy differs from traditional spirituality in that it requires everything pursuing its individual dream to achieve this state rather than practicing selflessness. In fact, the novel even portrays religious characters that practice self-denial, such as the crystal merchant, as failures. QUES: 4: - What is the meaning of the alchemy? ANS:Alchemy, in which a base metal is transformed into a more valuable metal like gold, functions as the dominant symbol in The Alchemist and represents Santiagos journey to achieve his Personal Legend. The symbol also gives the novel its title. The Alchemist describes the process of turning base metal to gold as equivalent to the base metal realizing its Personal Legend. In the parlance of the book, the metal must rid itself of all impurities to achieve a higher evolutionary state. Similarly, Santiago must rid himself of impurities, such as his desire for his parents acceptance, his desire to live as a rich shepherd, and even his desire to live with Fatima, in order to realize his own Personal Legend and achieve a higher state. The way a person learns the craft of alchemy parallels the way in which a person achieves his Personal Legend. As the alchemist tells Santiago, although many tomes have been written about alchemy, these books only complicate the craft. In fact, all the secrets of alchemy exist on the small Emerald Tablet, and these secrets cannot be expressed in words. Likewise, no written instructions can guide a person to his Personal Legend. The person must follow his own instincts and the omens provided by the Soul of the World. The alchemist chooses Santiago as his pupil rather than the Englishman largely because Santiago does not depend on books and reason to understand the world. By listening to the Soul of the World, Santiago ultimately enters into communion with all of nature, including the wind and the sun, and he reaches a higher state of being. QUES: 5:- How do omens guide Santiago in his journey?

ANS: The motif of omens serves a dual purpose in The Alchemist. For one, omens offer Santiago guidance on his journey and reassure him that the Soul of the World has endorsed his journey. As Melchizedek explains, omens make up part of the Universal Language of the World, and if Santiago taps into this language he can always find the meaning in his environment. For example, when the stones Urim and Thummim drop from Santiagos pocket, Santiago chooses to consider the event an omen. In doing so, he continues to feel that the universe conspires to help him, and he finds meaning in the seemingly random event. In this way, the motif of omens reinforces the books theme of the unity of nature. Omens also serve to demonstrate Santiagos spiritual growth throughout the story. The omens that Santiago experiences grow in relevance from being small, limited events to important visions that affect many lives. The vision of the hawks and approaching armies that Santiago has in Al-Fayoum, for example, tells Santiago of an assault on the oasis that could lead to the deaths of hundreds. That his omens become more and more important signifies that Santiago is getting closer to understanding the pure Language of the World.

QUES: 6:- what is the meaning of Maktub? ANS: - Many of the characters that Santiago meets during his journey use the word Maktub, which as the crystal merchant explains, means it is written. The word typically appears just as Santiago is about to turn to a new chapter in his quest, usually by taking a big risk or abandoning a comfortable situation. It becomes a reassuring refrain for Santiago, because it reminds Santiago to see his actions in the context of fate. As Santiago learns, fate always cooperates with those in pursuit of their Personal Legends, so as long as he remains focused on his goal he can find comfort in the fact that his destiny has already been written in the history of the world. In addition, the repetition of Maktub reinforces the Biblical tone of The Alchemist. The word gives Santiagos story the universality and spiritual heft of a fable (much like the other capitalized terms that dominate the book, such as the Soul of the World and the Hand that wrote all). QUES:-7:- What do you understand by this quote "God exists wherever He is allowed to enter."? ANS:The secrets of the universe were once known to everyone. The reason they are unknown now is not because they are complicated, but rather because we, as humans, complicated them. Therefore, as this quote suggests, finding God or happiness is not always a matter of seeking Him out, but rather of listening to the language of the World. QUES: 8:- What symbols Santiago get from his sheeps? ANS: - Santiagos sheep symbolize the sort of existence lived by those who are completely blind to their Personal Legends. Santiago loves his sheep, but he also expresses thinly veiled disrespect

for them because of their animal desires for mere food and water. He thinks that his sheep do not appreciate all the wonderful lands that Santiago discovers during his travels. Also, in a disturbing image, he imagines that his sheep are so blindly trusting that he could kill them one by one without them noticing. These sheep symbolize the characters in the book like the baker and the crystal merchant who do not pursue their Personal Legends. Like the sheep, these characters content themselves with their material desires and social acceptance. Accordingly, they lose the ability to appreciate certain aspects of creation, and tend to miss out on many opportunities because of their limited perspectives. QUES:-9:- When Santiago is lost and alone in Tangiers, the owner of the crystal shop offers him a position at his shop. What does Santiago learn from his time at the crystal shop? ANS: - The owner of the crystal shop teaches Santiago that one of the principle things which endanger the pursuit of a dream is one's own fear of achieving it. The crystal shop owner wants to go to Mecca, but also fears that if he does so he might lose his reason for living. Up until that point, Santiago has only been acquainted with exterior interference with achieving one's dreams, such as being robbed. QUES: 10:- How do you think the style of The Alchemist affects its meaning? Ans: - The novel is written in a very plain style, using short declarative sentences and few modifiers such as adjectives and adverbs. The book also makes wide use capitalized terminology and magical situations such as visions and communication with the Wind, Desert, etc. These combined factors make the didactic thrust of the story apparent. By simplifying the psychology of the characters and featuring characters with no names (the Englishman, the Alchemist, etc.), the story takes on a more universal appeal.