This novel has also become one of the most inspiring novels of all time. The underlying theme of the story is to “follow your heart”. Santiago is a Shepherd who has a recurring dream which is supposedly prophetic. Inspired on learning this, he undertakes a journey to Egypt to discover the meaning of life and fulfill his destiny. During the course of his travels, he learns of his true purpose and meets many characters, including an “Alchemist”, that teach him valuable lessons about achieving his dreams.
The language used in the novel is inspirational with purpose. Apart from being inspirational the novel also brings light in some obscure realities of life.
“You will never be able to escape from your heart. So it’s better to listen to what it has to say”, which is absolutely true. Our life disrupts when we have to go through things that our heart does not desire. Our soul will always find a way to get through whatever comes in the way. So it is important to let our ears to our souls. The magical realism that bounds the story helps the reader to escape from his world. But the new world is not purely made up one. It can guide us to reality.
The novel is a medley of powerful emotions, insightful characters and mystique wisdom. The delineation of characters is odd at times, leaving the reader rather puzzled. A Gypsy woman, a man who calls himself a king, a man who claims to be an alchemist are significant characters in the novel. The protagonist’s encounter with each character gives a startling twist to the story.
The language used in the novel is inspirational with purpose. Apart from being inspirational the novel also brings light in some obscure realities of life.
“You will never be able to escape from your heart. So it’s better to listen to what it has to say”, which is absolutely true. Our life disrupts when we have to go through things that our heart does not desire. Our soul will always find a way to get through whatever comes in the way. So it is important to let our ears to our souls. The magical realism that bounds the story helps the reader to escape from his world. But the new world is not purely made up one. It can guide us to reality.
The novel is a medley of powerful emotions, insightful characters and mystique wisdom. The delineation of characters is odd at times, leaving the reader rather puzzled. A Gypsy woman, a man who calls himself a king, a man who claims to be an alchemist are significant characters in the novel. The protagonist’s encounter with each character gives a startling twist to the story.
Whenever Santiago’s venture meets a blank wall, he changes his course of action and invariably his destiny. The protagonist is in a constant state of conflict between what is real and what is told to be real. This idea of bringing dilemmas into the story and thereby narrating the truth through the course of adventure is what makes the novel inspiring.
Some Enlightening and Inspiring Thoughts From the Book
The sole reason for existence and resilience is the quest to accomplish our dreams. The day we forget our dreams will be a day we forget to live. The dreams transformed Santiago from a shepherd boy to an ambitious explorer.
In our rush to accomplish greater things we ignore the simple but extraordinary things.
Human beings are more than some emotional spirits. Sometimes it is a terrible idea to let emotions govern you. If Santiago let his emotions on him he never would have known the true explorer in him.
“There is only one way to learn. It’s through action”. Never forget to take an initiative. It is our power to come forward is what decides the value of the treasure we discovers.
“We are afraid of losing what we have, whether it’s our life or our possessions or our property. But this fear evaporates when we understand that our life stories and the history of the world were written by the same hand”. When fear strikes us, we will be tempted to back off from our quest. But if we successfully vanquish the fear, then there is nothing in the world to keep us away from great rewards. All the challenges that confront us are to tone down our minds to win the higher purpose of our lives.
Written by - Abija P.B.
Edited by - Gunika Manchanda
Social