By Sihem Hammouda
The Alchemist: A Fable About Following Your Dream
by Paulo Coelho
HarperCollins
Paperback, April 2014, 208 pages, ISBN-13: 978-0062315007
The Alchemist is a book that traces the journey of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who was brave enough to forge his own destiny and was rewarded at the end of it with fortune and true love.
Santiago is far from being the common shepherd we’re used to. He is as wise as a philosopher and as brave as a soldier. Though he mastered Latin and Spanish, he chose to be a shepherd rather than a priest to fulfill his dream of traveling the world because, as he believed, “knowing the world is what a man was born to do rather than knowing God and learning about man’s sins.”
Life is full of possibilities, and Santiago is ready to take risks. He has no fear of leaping into the unknown or treading on foreign land in the pursuit of his dream. Even his father yielded to his wish and gave him money to buy his own flock of sheep. He wanted his son to live a dream he had buried deep down, for he believed he was born only to care for food and water, unlike his son.
On his journey to Egypt, Santiago decided to visit Tarifa to ask a gypsy who interprets dreams to decode his. He told her that he was in the field with his sheep when a child appeared to him. The child then played with the sheep and ignored his orders to stop. All of a sudden, the child took him by both hands and transported him to the Egyptian pyramids, then told him: “If you come here, you will find a hidden treasure.” The dream stopped there, and Santiago woke up. All the woman could do was reiterate the obvious message of the dream, which disheartened him; however, he was happy that he didn’t have to pay her immediately, as she only requested one-tenth of the treasure once he found it.
Upon leaving the Gypsy’s house, Santiago sat in the Plaza to read a book. There, he met an old man who claimed to be Melchizedek, the King of Salem. The old man told him that everyone has a “Personal Legend,” or a dream they want to achieve, and urged him to follow his and forge his destiny, even though it might be tough. He gave him two magical stones, Urim and Thummim, which represent “yes” and “no” respectively, to help him make decisions when he is at a loss and cannot understand the omens—the language of the world. Even when he is not physically present, the King appears as a symbol or an idea to help Santiago continue pursuing his Personal Legend in times of doubt.
Upon arriving in Tangier, he met a man at a bar who promised to serve as his guide and help him get to the pyramids, but the man turned out to be a thief and stole his money. Santiago regretted listening to the omens that he felt had misled him. He cried and thought that God was unfair because “this was the way God repaid those who believed in their dreams.” But he soon gathered himself and decided to think of himself as an adventurer in quest of his treasure rather than a poor victim of a thief.
To make up for his loss, he started working for a crystal merchant. It was the kind of job that didn’t make him happy, but he worked hard and put aside money to buy some sheep. Unlike Santiago, the merchant didn’t much like change; he wanted to live his life according to religious law. His dream of going to Mecca kept him alive so much that he feared if it were realized, he would have no reason to go on living. This explains why he was shocked to learn that the boy would cross the desert just to see the pyramids; he thought they were just a pile of stones. He hated to take risks, too; that’s why when Santiago asked him to build a display case for the crystal to attract more people, the merchant refused. He feared that people would pass by, bump into the display case, and break the pieces. But he eventually yielded to the shepherd’s insistence. As a result, business improved and money poured into the cash drawer. In less than a year, Santiago doubled his flock, did business with the Arabs, and mastered Arabic. Meeting the thief turned out to be a blessing against all odds.
By the end of his journey, Santiago meets the alchemist who resides in the Al-Fayoum oasis. He is a powerful practitioner of alchemy who appears to possess magical powers and wisdom that connects him to the mystical “Soul of the World.” This connection provides him with supernatural abilities and allows him to guide Santiago on his quest. The alchemist teaches Santiago to follow his heart and never give up on his dream. He assured him that if Fatima’s love is true, she will wait for him. Santiago left Fatima armored by her kiss and his promise to come back once he found his treasure.
When digging for his treasure near the pyramids, he was attacked by refugees from tribal wars. They beat him fiercely and took his money. Before leaving him near death, their chieftain told him that it was foolish to believe in dreams, for he himself once dreamt of a hidden treasure in a ruined church in Spain where a shepherd and his sheep sleep. From this, Santiago realized the truth of where his treasure was buried. It turned out that he crossed the desert to discover that his treasure had been waiting for him all along at home. Santiago returned home to find his treasure awaiting him. After digging it out, he planned to visit the gypsy to give her a share, and then return to his beloved Fatima.
It is blindingly clear that what makes The Alchemist one of Paulo Coelho’s most epic and memorable novels is his ability to spin a simple story with a deep message. He evokes something human and universal that haunts everyone, everywhere: the pursuit of dreams. This pursuit is what keeps people alive, hopeful, and strong. There are many lessons to learn from The Alchemist, but the strongest one is to never give up on your dream—even if you have to go to the ends of the earth to find it.
About the author: Sihem Hamouda is a Tunisian writer and translator. She is the author of the novel The Tunnel Girl (Al-Amina Publishing), the short story collection The Button Thief, and the children’s story Haroun, the Brave Explorer (both with Washma). As a translator, she specializes in Arabic-to-English literary works, including Dr. Mohammad Iqbal Harb’s The Truth and Fadhila Melhag’s Outside the Field of Discovery.