Breaking the Hold

Breaking the Hold.

“ Then at the Egyptian pyramids,”-he said the last three words slowly, so that the old woman would understand-“ the child said to me, ‘ If you come here, you will find a hidden treasure.’ And, just as she was about to show me the exact location I woke up. Both times.” (Coelho 13) Santiago is a young man who is trying to follow his destiny. He shepherds sheep around and sells their wool to merchants. He once met a merchant’s daughter and he thought he was in love. He decided he would go and see her and on his way he thought maybe he should get his dreams interpreted. He met a dream interpreter at a small village where he asked her to interpret his dreams he kept having. She told him that he must go to the pyramids, so now Santiago must travel from Spain to Egypt. Later on Santiago finds out that, that is his destiny, to find his treasure. On the way he meets many people. People he loves, people that guide and help him, one being the Alchemist who becomes his mentor, and people that treat him awful. Santiago achieves his destiny by being courageous, curious, and open-minded.

On his journey, Santiago grows more courage along the way. When Santiago met the dream interpreter and she interpreted his dreams, he was unsure what he should do next. Santiago was a bit disappointed in the interpretation of his dream. So instead he went and started to read one of his new books. As he was reading a man named Melchizedek came to him and started to talk to Santiago. Melchizedek told the boy about destiny. Santiago had no clue what that meant. Melchizedek went on about how destiny is something that you want to accomplish in life. He told the boy many things that day, like how he showed up to a miner as a rock with an emerald inside, when he was about to give up. Melchizedek helps people when they are trying to figure out their destiny or just giving up. That day he helped Santiago find out what his destiny was. Santiago met the old man again the next day and as promised he gave one tenth of his flock of sheep in turn for the way to his treasure. He told the boy that he had to go to Egyptian pyramids and that is where he would find his treasure. He told him to follow the omens, so Santiago finally left for his destiny. “ I’m an adventurer looking for treasure.” (40) It took courage to go and leave his family and his old ways behind. He was going to start a new chapter in his life. On his way he stopped in a small town in Africa. Santiago’s money was stolen by, a man he thought he could trust. He had no money and he couldn’t go anywhere else without it. He felt very alone in this new place he was in, but still he continued on. Even without his money. Santiago met a crystal merchant at a shop and decided to see if he could work for him. Santiago came up with many new ideas to help the merchant with his shop. He and the merchant became close in a way, but soon the merchant could see that the boy needed to achieve his destiny. So he told the boy that he needed to continue on. Santiago could have stayed but instead he did go on. As Santiago goes on through his journey he has to overcome many obstacles on the way, and it takes courage to keep going the way like Santiago has. He has trouble a few times deciding if he should go on, but in the end he makes the right choice. He also becomes very curious with all the new things he learns on the way.

As Santiago goes on his journey he becomes very curious of many things, like when he met the English man, he wanted to see what he was studying. The English man ends up telling Santiago about the master work, which is all about the Soul of the world and the language of the world. The Language of the world is where everything can communicate with each other, and the Soul of the world is basically everything and God. ‘The boy thought about that for awhile as he looked at the moon and the bleached sands. “I have watched the caravan as it crossed the desert,” he said. “The caravan and the desert speak the same language, and it’s for that reason that the desert allows the crossing. It’s going to test the caravan’s every step t see if it’s in time, and, if it is, we will make it to the oasis.”(75) Santiago is also curious when he meets the alchemist. He learns many new things from him by being curious. He learns more about the Soul and Language of the world. He even learns how to listen to his heart and become the wind. Without being curious, Santiago probably wouldn’t have made the journey to his destiny because he wouldn’t have learned all the new things that helped him on his way, and he also becomes very open- minded.

Santiago is very open-minded throughout his journey. He accepts the different beliefs and ways that the new people around him do. He listens to what people have to say and tries to do as they say. He tries many new things on his way. Like working at a crystal merchants place or when he goes on the camel drive, that was a new thing for him. He works with what he has around him and tries his hardest on his travels. ‘How strange Africa is.’ (40) At first he thought Africa was strange and weird, but in the end he discovers many things there that were great. Like his true love and the Alchemist, and everything he learned on his way. He learned a lot throughout this journey and he has worked hard to find his destiny.

By using these three traits, Santiago is able to achieve his destiny. By being courageous, he was able to start his whole journey to the pyramids. He gave up his past to join the new world he was becoming to know of. By being curious, he has learned all these new things and people that help him through the hardest times in his journey. As he goes on he becomes very open-minded to all the things around him. He observes his surroundings and listens to everything around him. It’s important that Santiago achieved his destiny because later on in life, he would be miserable. Destiny is something that you want to do in life and Santiago wants to find his treasure, but if he did give up, he could be trapped in a life without happiness. Santiago needs to follow his path through life so he can be happy and then everyone around can also be happy. Now that he has achieved his destiny he can live a content life and feel proud for achieving it.

Following my true path

Claude Monet: Garden path at Giverny

As I read the Alchemist, I learned many things about following my path through life. Destiny is what they call it and I think that I can finish my road to my destiny by being persistant. I would love to be a Marine biologist, possibibly an entertainer, or a musician in a band. I really don't know what I want when I'm older. All I know is that whatever I want to become, I will do what I need to do in life to reach that new goal I have. I will try my best to grab ahold of it and even if I don't get what I want, I will try even harder, or just move on. As I go through life, I will be troubled by many obstacles, but no matter what, I will keep a straight face and move on foward. I will have extraordinary new findings that I can use to help me, that can save me in a time when needed. As I get older with age I will develope my understanding of things and then I will be able to help myself get to my goal. I make the choices for myself and whatever I make I hope I will make the right one, but if I don't I will try and try to get to the end of my line. So by being persistant I will be able to move ahead and complete my journey in life.