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“The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho Literature Analysis Essay

Considering sacrificing the personal wishes for the sake of love the ultimate manifestation of true love is typical for the majority of writers, poets, and painters exploring the romantic themes. However, Paulo Coelho has managed to amaze the readers with a wholly new approach to exploring the nature of love and describing its role in the person’s life in his famous novel The Alchemist . Coelho demonstrates that while the love demanding the sacrifice of one’s dream is not true, the genuine love serves as a stimulus for living out the Personal Legend and achieving the happiness.

The first lesson the reader learns about love while reading The Alchemist is that the wrong understanding of this feeling often becomes an obstacle on the way to the person’s pursuit of self-realization. The author shows that untrue love can stop the person from living the life full of meaning, which is essential for discovering the purpose of one’s. This step is crucial for the person’s ability to move to the next level of self-development. However, the author shows that the problem is related to people’s perception of love, not the feeling itself.

Coelho demonstrates that true love cannot prevent the person from realizing his/her dreams through the words of the alchemist: “You must understand that love never keeps a man from pursuing his destiny. If he abandons that pursuit, it’s because it wasn’t true love… the love that speaks the Language of the World” (Coelho 67). The main protagonist feels the temptation to leave his Personal Legend because of the feeling of affection towards a woman two times: after meeting the merchant’s daughter and after he falls in love with Fatima.

Though Santiago is not bounded with the merchant’s daughter by serious feelings, after meeting her he feels the desire to lead a purposeless life: “He recognized that he was feeling something he had never experienced before: the desire to live in one place forever” (Coelho 3). After meeting Fatima, the described desire appears to dominate Santiago’s plans one more time with even bigger power. Falling in love with Fatima motivates him to stay in the oasis and refuse from living his dream.

The Alchemist tells the boy that such decision will lead to the unhappiness of both Santiago and Fatima as he will regret refusing from a dream, and Fatima will feel the guilt for forcing him to do it. In such way, Coelho teaches the reader that refusing from a dream for the sake of love is the severely wrongful act. Though Santiago manages to overcome the temptation to leave his dream because of the affection and love towards a woman, the reader gets a clear impression that sacrificing one’s dream for love can be an obstacle on the way to one’s happiness and purposeful life.

Such position is unique in regard to world literature, as most writers describe the sacrifice of one’s dreams and wishes for the sake of love as the highest manifestation of true love. Coelho, on the contrary, reveals that such sacrifice serves as a proof of the untrue love, which can ruin the person’s happiness. Fatima also demonstrates the untraditional understanding of love.

While most female protagonists described in the literature strive for making their beloved ones stay with them, Fatima encourages Santiago to leave her and continue his trip: “That’s why I want you to continue toward your goal. If you have to wait until the war is over, then wait. But if you have to go before then, go on in pursuit of your dream” (Coelho 53). Such approach to true love opposes the traditional beliefs and changes the explanation of its nature.

Another lesson learned about love from The Alchemist is related to the significant role love plays in achieving the goal of self-realization by a person. Coelho demonstrates that though the misleading understanding of love is an obstacle to one’s happiness, the feeling itself is one of the main components of human life. The author reveals the primary role of the powers that are not controlled by a human in encouraging the person to fall in love: “One is loved because one is loved. No reason is needed for loving” (Coelho 68).

Coelho emphasizes that love is a gift from the universe through Santiago’s words addressed to Fatima: “So, I love you because the entire universe conspired to help me find you” (Coelho 68). By overcoming many obstructions and finding the knowledge about the rules guiding human life, Santiago comes to a conclusion that love should serve as the stimulus for self-improvement: “And that’s where the power of love comes in. Because when we love, we always strive to become better than we are” (Coelho 85).

These words illustrate one of the main thoughts shared by the author with the readers: love is not the goal of life, it is the power helping to fulfill Personal Legend. Though Coelho does not place love in the center of Santiago’s motivations, he shows that it is crucial to person’s happiness. Love serves both as a stimulus for Santiago’s pursuit of the dream and the ultimate reward for living out the Personal Legend, as the novel ends with the reunion of Fatima and Santiago.

Therefore, the author does not deny the importance of love but points to its true purpose. This lesson differs from most of the traditional ideas about love, as literature and traditions mostly put love in the center of the person’s life and praise the suffering caused by it. Coelho, on the contrary, celebrates the love that helps the person to realize his/her dreams instead of abandoning them.

The lessons about true love given by Coelho in The Alchemist can save many people from losing their personalities and happiness. I know several examples of people who have sacrificed their dreams for the sake of love and live an unhappy life.

Their sacrifices have caused immense regrets and, as a result, serious misunderstandings with the partners. Such examples from the real life make me believe that Coelho’s approach to defining what the true love is and how it should help to achieve the lifelong goals instead of ruining them is truthful and can be supported with the abundance of real life experience.

Paulo Coelho has managed to create an innovative approach to defining the true love. According to the assumptions he makes throughout the text of The Alchemist , the trueness of love cannot be assessed by the readiness of a person to sacrifice his/her dreams for its sake. On the contrary, true love stimulates for achieving the lifetime goals and self-realization and serves as the power guiding the person towards the happiness.

Works Cited

Coelho, Paulo. The Alchemist . Trans. Alan Clarke. 1992. PDF file. Web.

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The Alchemist

Paulo coelho, everything you need for every book you read..

In the Prologue, the alchemist reads a story about Narcissus —a youth so fascinated by his own beautiful reflection that he falls into a lake and drowns. In this version of the story, the goddess of the forest encounters the lake in which Narcissus drowned. The lake is weeping, and the goddess assumes that the lake misses Narcissus’s beauty. However, the lake reveals that, actually, it’s weeping because it misses being able to admire its own beautiful reflection in Narcissus’s eyes. “What a lovely story,” the alchemist thinks.

In Part One of the novel, Santiago passes the night with his flock of sheep in an abandoned church . That night, he has a recurring dream. When he wakes, he looks forward to the village he will reach in four days where, the year before, he met a girl, the daughter of a merchant . Meeting her made him wish, for the first time in his life, that he could remain in one place. Santiago loves to travel, and became a shepherd, rather than a priest as his family had wanted, because his father told him that, among poor folk, only shepherds had the opportunity to travel.

A few days before reaching the merchant’s daughter’s village, Santiago encounters a fortune-teller , whom he hopes will be able to interpret his recurring dream. In the dream, a child transports Santiago to the Pyramids of Egypt and promises he will find hidden treasure there, but Santiago always wakes up just as the child is about to reveal it. After making Santiago promise to give her one-tenth of the treasure as payment, the fortuneteller interprets the dream to mean that if Santiago journeys to the pyramids, he’ll find hidden treasure.

Annoyed that he could have come to this interpretation on his own, Santiago leaves, and soon sits down in the plaza to read his book. An old man sits down next to him and says that it’s an important book, but that it contains the world’s greatest lie: that we do not control what happens to us. The old man introduces himself as Melchizedek , the King of Salem, and adds that if Santiago gives him one-tenth of this sheep, he will tell Santiago how to find his treasure. Santiago wonders if the old man and the fortune-teller are working together to rob him, but gives up his suspicions when Melchizedek demonstrates knowledge of things about Santiago’s life he couldn’t possibly know. Melchizedek explains that Santiago has discovered his Personal Legend – the thing a person has always wanted to accomplish. Each person knows what it is when he is young, but loses track of it as he ages. Melchizedek says that he appears to people in moments when they are about to give up on their Personal Legends.

The next day, Santiago meets Melchizedek and gives him six sheep. He sells his other sheep to a friend who dreamed of becoming a shepherd. Melchizedek says that to find his treasure, Santiago will have to follow the omens God reveals to him. Melchizedek gives Santiago two stones, called Urim and Thummin , which can be used for fortune telling. But he cautions Santiago also to rely on his own decisions.

Santiago arrives in Morocco, but quickly gets robbed and winds up sleeping in a marketplace. Eventually, Santiago wanders into a crystal shop and asks the crystal merchant for a job in exchange for something to eat. After Santiago cleans crystal all day, the merchant gives him dinner. Santiago is crushed when he learns that he would have to work for years to earn enough money to travel to the Pyramids, but he decides to work for the merchant in order to earn money to buy some sheep.

As Part Two of the novel opens, Santiago is working for the crystal merchant. He wants to build a display case to draw more attention to the store, but the merchant resists. The merchant doesn’t like change, and explains that he has always been an observant Muslim, but has never made a pilgrimage to Mecca. Though he could now, finally, afford the trip, he still puts it off because he fears not having something to look forward to in his future. He doesn’t want to realize his dream; he just wants to dream. But he does give Santiago permission to build the display case.

Business at the shop increases. Santiago is pleased that he is working toward his goal of acquiring an even larger flock of sheep. He has also earned to recognize omens: when he sees a man out of breath after climbing the hill to the shop, he realizes they should sell tea in the crystal they are selling. The merchant knows that this will change the nature of the business, but he feels he cannot resist the inevitable, or as he says “maktub,” meaning “it is written.” He sees Santiago’s appearance in his life as both a blessing and a curse. Santiago saved his business, but also showed him what his business was capable of, meaning he can never again be content with the simple business he had.

Soon Santiago has enough money to buy a large herd of sheep, but before doing so he happens upon Urim and Thummin in his old shepherd’s bag and decides instead to pursue his treasure. He suddenly feels tremendously happy, and finds a caravan crossing the desert. As he waits for the caravan to leave, Santiago meets an Englishman who tells him that there is a universal language understood by everybody. He says he is in search of that language, and hopes to find an alchemist in the desert who can teach him more.

As the caravan travels to the desert oasis of Al-Fayoum, Santiago becomes friends with a camel driver who used to be a farmer before his land was flooded. The camel driver says that disaster taught him to understand that many people are afraid of losing what they have, but this fear is no longer relevant when you understand that human lives were written by the same hand that created the world. He also advises Santiago that if you can concentrate on the present, you'll be happy. Meanwhile, the Englishman tells Santiago of a common principle that connects all things – the Soul of the World – and lends Santiago some books about the Master Work of alchemy: an Emerald Tablet, on which was written the secret to creating the Philosopher’s Stone, which could turn lead into gold, and the Elixir of Life, which granted mortality.

The caravan arrives safely at the oasis, which is the size of a large city. The oasis is neutral in the constant wars of the surrounding tribes, and no one can carry weapons there. Santiago helps the Englishman search for the alchemist, but with little luck. At one point, Santiago approaches a young woman to ask about the alchemist and suddenly he feels the Soul of the World. Immediately he realizes that the universal language is love. He meets with the woman, Fatima , day after day, and tells her of his quest for his treasure and how it has brought him to her. Eventually, Fatima tells Santiago that she has learned about omens from his stories, and that because of this learning she wants Santiago to continue toward his goal and pursue his dream. Fatima says "maktub," and tells Santiago that if they are really meant to be together, then he'll return to her one day.

One day as he walks in the desert, Santiago sees a hawk attack another and has a vision of an army attacking the oasis. Santiago goes to the tribal chieftains of the oasis to warn them. The chieftains respond that the next day the men of the oasis will break the agreement of the oasis and carry arms — if Santiago’s warning proves true he will be rewarded; but if it does not, he will lose his life.

Santiago leaves the chieftains’ tent upset, when suddenly a strange man on horseback confronts him. Santiago embraces the possibility of his own death and is not afraid. The stranger then reveals this was a test of Santiago's courage, which is essential when one wants to understand the Language of the World. Santiago has met the alchemist.

The next day, Santiago’s prophecy is fulfilled and the oasis is attacked, but the inhabitants of the oasis are ready to defend themselves. Santiago receives his reward: fifty pieces of gold. Soon after, the alchemist takes Santiago out into the desert to test whether he can find life in the desert. Santiago allows his horse to lead them, and the find a snake –the alchemist agrees to guide Santiago across the desert. Santiago wants to stay at the oasis because of Fatima, but the alchemist explains that if he stays, he will be haunted by the loss of his opportunity to find his treasure.

As they travel in the desert, the alchemist explains that the Emerald Tablet is a direct link to the Soul of the World. In the early times, everything about the Master Work could be written on the Emerald Tablet. But men rejected simple things. The alchemist directs Santiago back toward this simplicity, and says that Santiago should listen to his heart , because it came from the Soul of the World. Santiago practices listening to his heart, and comes to understand his heart’s changes and contradictions, and that people are afraid to pursue their most important dreams because they know they will suffer if they don’t succeed.

Not long after, Santiago and the alchemist are taken prisoner by one of the warring tribes. Soon they are brought before the enemy chieftain , who thinks that they’re spies. The alchemist responds that Santiago is an alchemist who can turn himself into the wind, and says that if Santiago has not turned himself into the wind in three days time, the chieftain can kill them. The chieftain agrees.

Once they’re alone, Santiago protests that he has no idea how to turn himself into the wind, but the alchemist responds that when a person is living out his Personal Legend, he has all the tools he needs—the only thing that could hold him back is the fear of failure. He adds that if Santiago does not succeed, then at least he’ll die while trying to realize his Personal Legend.

On the first and second days, Santiago is at a loss. On the third day, the enemy chieftain has Santiago go up to a cliff above the enemy camp. Santiago appeals to the desert, the wind, and the sun to help him, but none of them are able. The sun recommends that Santiago speak directly to the “hand that wrote all,” though, and Santiago reaches through the Soul of the World and discovers the Soul of God. He sees the oneness between his own soul and the Soul of God and, because of this oneness, realizes that he has the ability to perform miracles. Santiago turns himself into the wind, creating a terrible windstorm. The tribesmen are terrified, but the alchemist is happy to have found such an ideal student, and the enemy chieftain is pleased to have witnessed the glory of Allah. The next day, Santiago and the alchemist leave the camp with an honor guard.

Eventually they reach a Coptic monastery, where a monk welcomes them inside to rest. While there, the alchemist uses the Philosopher’s Stone to change lead into gold. He gives a quarter of the gold to the monk for his hospitality, a quarter to Santiago to repay him for the amount taken by the enemy chieftain, and quarter for himself. The final quarter he gives to the monk, saying that it is for Santiago if he ever needs it. The alchemist tells Santiago everyone on earth plays an important role, even if he doesn't know it. Then the alchemist bids Santiago farewell.

Santiago rides alone through the desert, listening to his heart, which tells him that he will find his treasure at the place where he is brought to tears. At the top of a dune, Santiago sees the Egyptian pyramids before him. He falls to his knees and cries out in thanks to God for making him follow his Personal Legend. Remembering the words of his heart, Santiago digs in the place he fell to his knees crying.

As he digs, several people approach Santiago. They are desperate refugees from the tribal wars, and they beat Santiago and take the gold given to him by the alchemist. When Santiago tells them he is looking for treasure at that place, the leader of the refugees says he’s being stupid. The leader adds that two years earlier he himself had a recurring dream in which he saw an abandoned church that sheltered shepherds and sheep. The dream told him that if he dug at the roots of the tree growing through the center of the church, he would find a hidden treasure. But he never went in search of the treasure, because it was just a dream. After the refugees have left, Santiago laughs aloud, because now he knows the location of his treasure.

In the Epilogue, Santiago reaches the abandoned church where his story began. He thinks of the strangeness of the path that God has led him on, but is grateful for the people he has met along the way. He soon uncovers a chest of gold and jewels. The wind begins to blow, and it brings with it a familiar scent of perfume. Santiago smiles and says, “I’m coming, Fatima.”

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The Alchemist Essays

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The Alchemist

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The prologue tells the story of Narcissus. How does this well-known myth relate to the main narrative of the novel?

Many of the characters in the novel are motivated by money and material wealth. How does this motivation relate to the various religions in the text?

How does the romance between Fatima and Santiago (and, to a lesser extent, the girl in the village) interact with the themes of self-belief and destiny?

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The Alchemist (Jonson)

By ben jonson, the alchemist (jonson) essay questions.

Is The Alchemist too cruel to be a comedy?

This question asks you to consider The Alchemist generically as a comedy, but to weigh its sense of humor with the cruelty of the play towards its characters (and perhaps, towards its audience). How would you define a comedy? Does The Alchemist fit your definition?

"Believ't, I will." (1.1.1). How important is "belief" to the play as a whole?

This question invites you to examine the concept of belief (and its synonyms) and relate it to your view of the play. Remember that this is the first line of the play, so it might be particularly significant in the author's view. Consider different modes of belief. Theater, remember, relies on what Coleridge called "the willing suspension of disbelief."

"Hieronymo's old cloak, ruff and hat will serve" (4.7.71). Analyse Jonson's The Alchemist in the light of what you know about Elizabethan and Jacobean theater.

This quote asks you to look at the play objectively as a piece of theater from 1610, and to combine insights about the play with opinions about the contemporary theater. Where and how is theater mentioned in the play? Are there specific in-jokes within the play itself? (Looking up "Hieronimo" will give you a further clue.)

What is the importance of the title of the play?

Consider why Jonson might have called his play The Alchemist . How does alchemy as an idea relate to the play as you understand it? What part does alchemy play in the play? Who is the alchemist--and in what ways is he really an alchemist?

"I would be glad to thrive, sir." (1.3.13). Write a character study of Abel Drugger.

Describe Drugger's role in the play by asking questions such as, What sort of man is he? How is he essential to the plot? Why might this quotation be an appropriate starting point for an answer?

"His Satire points at no Defect, / But what all Mortals may correct..." (Swift). Do you think The Alchemist 's satire is corrective?

This question invites you to consider the different groups that the play satirizes, looking in detail at how they are satirized. Swift here suggests that satire should only point out things that people could then correct; is that how Jonson's satire works? You also should define satire as you see it in relation to The Alchemist .

DAPPER: Is this the cunning man?

FACE: This is his worship. (1.2.8-9).

Write about the various roles which Face, Subtle, and Dol Common play within The Alchemist and comment on the effect of this role-playing.

Outline the different roles played by each of the characters (and consider, briefly, why these might be appropriate or humorous characters for them to take on) and then examine why--within the plot and within the play--they might choose to role-play in this way. Why is acting a good method of gulling?

"... you'll make her royal with the stone / An Empress, and yourself King of Bantam." (2.3.319-20). Write a character analysis of Epicure Mammon.

There are many possible approaches to this huge question. What is Mammon's purpose in the play? What does his name mean? What sort of character is he? How does he interact with Surly, and what does Surly teach us about Mammon?

"'Fore God! My intelligence / Costs me more money, than my share oft comes to" (1.4.107-8). How important is money to The Alchemist ?

This question asks you to look at the play through a thematic lens. Money is the reason that Face and Subtle carry out the cons, but it is also the reason many of the gulls want to visit the Blackfriars house. A good answer to this question might consider both angles. Does the play suggest anything about Jonson's financial purpose in writing the play?

"I fart at thee." (1.1.1). Analyse the continuing quarrel between Face and Subtle in The Alchemist .

Describe the various points of quarrelling (start at the first scene) during the play, and look at the roles they take in the play as a whole. What is each quarrel about? Especially important might be an interpretation of the ending: how does the quarrel crucially change the final events before Lovewit's re-arrival? For comparison, consider the other quarrels in the play.

The Alchemist (Jonson) Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for The Alchemist (Jonson) is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Discuss satire with reference to Alchemist?

In The Alchemist , Jonson satirizes, or mocks, Anabaptists, Spaniards, and knights arrogant, all who would all have been familiar to the contemporary audience.

How Ben Johnson does satirize the follies and vanities of the people of his age in The Alchemist?

Jonson's play was a modern-dress play in its day (1610), and it is hugely steeped in the culture of its time. The locations it names—the Temple Church, Deaf John's and the Pigeons Tavern, to name but three—were all close to the Blackfriars theater...

Where is the play alchemist set

The play is set in contemporary London of the time so around 1610.

Study Guide for The Alchemist (Jonson)

The Alchemist study guide contains a biography of Ben Jonson, literature essays, a complete e-text, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About The Alchemist (Jonson)
• The Alchemist (Jonson) Summary
• Character List

Essays for The Alchemist (Jonson)

The Alchemist literature essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Alchemist.

• Rôle playing, character, transformation, and disguise in Volpone, The Alchemist and Bartholomew Fair
• The Alchemist: Too Cruel to Be a Comedy?
• Gulls Onstage, and in the Audience: Perspective in The Alchemist
• The Importance of Money in The Alchemist.
• Can Identity Be Self-Created?: Characterization in 'The Alchemist' and 'Marriage-a-la-Mode'

Lesson Plan for The Alchemist (Jonson)

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to The Alchemist (Jonson)
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• The Alchemist (Jonson) Bibliography

E-Text of The Alchemist (Jonson)

The Alchemist e-text contains the full text of The Alchemist.

• Introduction
• Dramatis Personae
• Act 1, Scene 1.1
• Act 2, Scene 2.1

Wikipedia Entries for The Alchemist (Jonson)

• Stage history

The Alchemist - Essay Examples And Topic Ideas For Free

The Alchemist is a novel by Brazilian author Paulo Coelho that explores themes of personal growth, destiny, and spirituality. Essays can delve into the novel’s symbolism, allegory, character development, and its exploration of philosophical or spiritual themes. A vast selection of complimentary essay illustrations pertaining to The Alchemist you can find in Papersowl database. You can use our samples for inspiration to write your own essay, research paper, or just to explore a new topic for yourself.

“The Alchemist” Personal Legend

In The Alchemist, Coelho talks about the importance of the "Personal Legend", that is, the path that each person should take to achieve the greatest happiness. In the book, a young shepherd boy, named Santiago is sent on a journey to find his own Personal Legend. On his journey he deals with frustration, devastation, hope, love, confusion, learning all along the way. From the people he meets to the scenarios he must adapt to, the boy persists on his journey […]

Literary Devices in “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho

In the opening of The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, Coelho uses numerous stylistic techniques to not only inspire his readers but also to instill his message through thematic elements. Through the character interactions, symbols, and allusions presented in the first few pages of this novel, Coelho is able to present various lessons to the reader. To explain, a significant technique of Coelho is his use of style and language. The novel is told in past tense, which provides him with […]

Hero’s Journey in “The Alchemist”

In The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, we read the story about a boy named Santiago who has dreams and visions about finding this treasure. The Alchemist can come across as a mythic, universally applicable story due to the use of the Hero's Journey hidden throughout the book and all the stylistic strategies given. The book portrays an idea to follow your dreams, and listen to your heart which is exactly what Santiago does. The first stage of the Hero's journey […]

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The Monomyth in “The Alchemist”

The Alchemist, a novel written in 1988 by the author Paulo Coelho, whom received the Crystal Award by the World Economic Forum and France. He is known for other major works such as Aleph and Eleven Minutes. The Alchemist is his most famous work, which is one of the most translated works. The story take place in Spain as a young shepherd boy named Santiago start his search for finding his personal legend after having a dream about a treasure […]

Journey of a Young Shepherd Boy Santiago in “The Alchemist”

In the novel The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho shows the journey of a young shepherd boy named Santiago who is determined to fulfill his Personal Legend, which is to find a hidden treasure. Learning life lessons along the way Santiago starts realizes the importance of listening to his heart. The theme of the book is to listen to one's heart and not be afraid to take risks. In The Alchemist the author shows those who chose to follow their dreams […]

The Alchemist and the Pilgrimage by Paulo Coelho

Literature is the mirror of the society. Literature writers always reflect the social, economic, political and cultural realities in the society and captures the same is their artistic expressions. It is on this basis the literature is the mirror of the society. Paulo Coelho in the novel The Alchemist and The Pilgrimage fundamentally offers inspiration to people to always follow their dream regardless of the circumstances that they go through. The Alchemist and The Pilgrimage are a compelling novels by […]

The Alchemist Book Review

Often in works of literature, characters gain wisdom through experience. The novel The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho is about a shepherd named Santiago. Santiago is not an ordinary shepherd, he reads regularly, which surprises the merchant's daughter. Santiago enjoys his life as a shepherd not only because it allows him to travel, but also because he loves his sheep. Santiago notices his flock's ability to find contentment through food and water alone, and he almost envies the fact that they […]

The Alchemist: Santiago

The Alchemist tells the tale of Santiago, a young shepherd in search of his personal legend. Santiago did not know what the future entailed and at first, did not know he would travel far to reach ""his"" legend, however, it is the relationships with strangers that shaped him and helped him to ""his"" legend. Coelho introduced characters such as the king, the alchemist, and Santiago's heart to positively affect Santiago and transform him. These relationships are a major focus for […]

Fantasy Book “The Alchemist”

The Alchemist is a fantasy book series that takes place in the twenty-first century in America. The first pages of the book introduce us to Josh and Sophia Newman who are twins. Josh works at a bookshop with Nick Flemming who is actually an immortal alchemist named Nicholas Flamel who is hiding from Dr. John Dee who is also immortal and who was once his apprentice. One day Dee finds Flamel and he takes his wife and the codex which […]

The Alchemist’s Wisdom and its Universal Themes

Paulo Coelho's opus "The Alchemist" has mesmerized readers globally, transcending its identity as merely a narrative to become a compendium for navigating existence, brimming with sagacity and profound insights into the human psyche. This extraordinary chronicle of Santiago, a youthful Andalusian shepherd embarking on a odyssey to unearth his Personal Legend, proffers themes of profound significance that strike a chord with humanity at large. Through Santiago's expedition, Coelho delves into the essence of apprehending one's fate, the pivotality of heeding […]

Santiago’s Quest for the Personal Legend in the Alchemist

Within Paulo Coelho's mesmerizing tome, "The Alchemist," voyagers embark alongside Santiago, a youthful Andalusian shepherd, as he quests for treasures of cosmic magnitude. Yet, Santiago's odyssey transcends mere material wealth; it epitomizes an introspective pilgrimage toward self-realization and the comprehension of his Personal Legend—the singular path ordained for each soul to attain ultimate fulfillment. Santiago's odyssey commences with a vision, a dream wherein he glimpses the untold riches awaiting him at the Egyptian pyramids, igniting a fervent yearning to transcend […]

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<h2>How To Write an Essay About The Alchemist</h2> <h3>Understanding 'The Alchemist' by Paulo Coelho</h3> <p>Before writing an essay on 'The Alchemist,' it's essential to thoroughly understand the novel. 'The Alchemist' by Paulo Coelho is a philosophical story about Santiago, a young Andalusian shepherd in his journey to Egypt, after having a recurring dream of finding treasure there. Delve into the themes of the novel such as following one's dreams, the interconnectedness of all things, and the importance of seeking one's own path. Grasping these themes is crucial as they form the backbone of your essay and give depth to your analysis.</p> <h3>Developing a Clear Thesis</h3> <p>The next step is to develop a clear and concise thesis statement for your essay. This statement should reflect your unique interpretation or perspective on the novel. Whether you focus on how the story reflects the journey of self-discovery, the role of destiny and free will, or the symbolism of the characters and events, your thesis should guide the direction of your essay and provide a central argument for your readers to consider.</p> <h3>Gathering Textual Evidence</h3> <p>An essay about 'The Alchemist' should include detailed textual evidence to support your thesis. This involves close reading of the novel to identify significant quotes, events, and characters that align with your thesis. For instance, if you're exploring the theme of personal legend, you might analyze Santiago's decisions and the obstacles he faces. By providing specific examples from the text, you can create a more convincing and well-supported argument.</p> <h3>Analyzing and Interpreting the Novel</h3> <p>In this section, you should analyze and interpret the evidence you have collected, explaining how it supports your thesis. This is where you delve deeper into the themes, characters, and symbolism of 'The Alchemist'. Discuss Coelho's writing style, the significance of the novel's setting, and its philosophical underpinnings. Your analysis should demonstrate a deep understanding of the novel and provide a unique perspective on its meaning and significance.</p> <h3>Concluding Your Essay</h3> <p>Conclude your essay by summarizing the main points of your analysis and restating your thesis. Your conclusion should bring together your interpretations and insights, leaving the reader with a clear understanding of your perspective on 'The Alchemist'. This is also an opportunity to reflect on the broader implications of the novel, such as its relevance in today's world or its contribution to literature.</p> <h3>Final Touches: Review and Editing</h3> <p>After completing your essay, it's important to review and edit your work. Ensure that your arguments are clearly articulated and supported by textual evidence. Check for grammatical errors and ensure that your essay flows logically. You might also seek feedback from peers or instructors to refine your essay further. A well-written essay will not only showcase your understanding of 'The Alchemist' but also your ability to engage critically with literary texts.</p>

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The Alchemist Essay

There are many important themes in The Alchemist that must be acknowledged. The author wrote a complex book in which he provided plenty of food for thought, putting significant and complicated characters into the book’s ecosystem. With this in mind, one of the most important themes in the book is reading. Books play a prominent role both in the lives of characters in the character development. Ultimately the story is not about reading, but rather, it becomes about the things that reading can provide, including wonder and mystery. Reading plays a major role because books of different kinds are present throughout the work, with some of them being read and others being ignored. Reading is the thing that shows Santiago that he wants more mystery while later allowing him to understand the mysteries of the world outcome of himself.

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In the beginning of the book, reading plays a major role. The reader is introduced to a character named Santiago who is reading a book. He discusses how he does not like that all of the main characters are introduced right in the beginning. This can be taken in a way as symbolism. Santiago is not interested in a book where things are just laid out in a predictable way right in front of him. Instead, he is interested in a book where he has to discover new things and wait for some things to be revealed to him. This becomes something of an overarching theme for Santiago’s life. During that early part, he thinks he is going to be a priest. His life is laid out in front of him, with his parents seeing him as a priest and him largely accepting this as what he is going to do in his own life. However, he realizes that this is not what he is meant to do. He realizes that just as reading is boring whenever the characters and their stories are known too early, life can be boring when the subject matter is known far too early. It would be better, he thinks, if the story could have some mysticism so that wonder could be explored down the line.

Likewise, the concept of “reading” is seen in how he seeks out advice on interpreting his dreams. Santiago has already encountered difficulty with his own life plan, and he has sought out more. In addition to reading books, he is also having to read the language of his dreams, which he believes comes from God. His big problem is that he has a difficult time interpreting the things going on in his head. It is as if he is reading a different language. When he goes to the gypsy woman to get some help in reading these dreams for their truth, she provides him with advice on the ways in which God communicates and what it means for human beings. She says, “And dreams are the language of God. When he speaks our language, I can interpret what he has said. But if he speaks in the language of the soul, it is only you who can understand” (Coelho). This communicates one of the core parts of the book—reading and interpreting is a highly personal process. The symbolism of reading dreams and reading books is all about finding meaning in life. Just as one has to read according to one’s own experience, one cannot interpret dreams with the language of God without doing so from a position of personal experience. Reading becomes a metaphor for the way people are supposed to view the bigger forces in life.

Later in the novel, reading becomes important as the thing that allows Santiago to explore the contours of new knowledge. He knows that he was right to leave a potential life in the priesthood in order to pursue shepherding because it allowed him to see a new side of the world that he would have missed otherwise. However, when he meets the alchemist and he wants to know more about that part of life, he begins to read. He has books that explain to him the things about the world that have been kept from him. Reading, then, becomes an element of liberation. It becomes a tool through which Santiago can gain that which was kept from him for very long. The key element of this is that he lived in a restricted atmosphere, but no one could restrict him when he found books. He discovered through reading not only that there was an entire world of knowledge out there to be digested and consumed, but also the critical fact that there were many people around him who could guide him in learning. He found a world of mentors in the ways of alchemy and other mysticisms where the natural world had denied him that benefit.

Reading in this book is presented as an important theme. It is at the beginning the thing that serves as a metaphor for the way life should be. Santiago wants unpredictable and not boring. His ideas on life and books are much the same. Later, reading becomes a metaphor for interpreting life and seeing meaning through one’s own eyes. Finally, at the end, reading becomes a sign of what it means to break free from some of the chains that may be thrown on people by families and other community forces that seek to keep them from knowing about the true nature of the world around them.

• Coelho, Paulo. “The Alchemist (English Version translated by Alan R. Clark).” (2002).

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There are many important themes in The Alchemist that must be acknowledged. The author wrote a complex book in which he provided plenty of food for thought, putting significant and complicated characters into the book’s ecosystem. With this in mind, one of the most important themes in the book is...

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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Novel — Paulo Coelho’s “The Alchemist”: Book Review

Paulo Coelho's "The Alchemist": Book Review

• Categories: Novel The Alchemist

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Words: 743 |

Updated: 8 November, 2023

Words: 743 | Pages: 2 | 4 min read

To sum up, throughout his quest, Santiago learns invaluable lessons about the importance of listening to his heart, recognizing the language of omens, and pursuing one's personal legend. He encounters various individuals, including a gypsy, a king, and an Englishman, each contributing to his growth and understanding of the world.

Santiago's journey also introduces him to the enigmatic figure of the alchemist, who imparts wisdom about the soul of the world and the significance of staying true to one's path. This newfound awareness prompts Santiago to make choices that align with his destiny, even if it means leaving behind the oasis where he found love.

The narrative is rich with symbolism, emphasizing the themes of self-discovery, personal fulfillment, and the interconnectedness of the universe. In the end, "The Alchemist" serves as a profound reminder that everyone possesses the power to chase their dreams and embark on a personal journey of self-realization. Santiago's story inspires readers to listen to the whispers of their hearts, heed the signs along the way, and have the courage to pursue their own personal legends.

Works Cited

• Coelho, P. (2014). The Alchemist. HarperCollins.
• Delgado, M. (2018). The Art of Dreaming in The Alchemist. Ideas y Valores, 67(166), 49-66.
• De Macedo, N. (2017). Utopian dream in the alchemist by Paulo Coelho. International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, 7(7), 119-123.
• De Sales, R. (2019). Personal legend as the theme of Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist. Humaniora, 10(3), 285-294.
• Di Gregorio, M. A. (2014). Narrative structure and thematic patterns in Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist. International Journal of Applied Linguistics & English Literature, 3(5), 24-31.
• Garcia-Ramirez, D. (2015). Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist and the Literature of Possibility. Literature and Theology, 29(3), 346-361.
• Kakoli, S., & Saha, S. K. (2017). The alchemist by Paulo Coelho: a study on the significance of omens and dreams. Journal of English Language and Literature, 4(1), 107-114.
• Kestler, J. L. (2016). A spiritual pilgrimage: The Alchemist. A Journal of Undergraduate Literary Criticism and Creative Research, 1(1), 15-22.
• Kirtley, S. (2019). Omens and Dreams: The Importance of Symbolism in The Alchemist. Writing and Literature: Journal of the MA Program in Writing and Literature at Stony Brook University, 9(1), 49-55.
• Wang, H. (2017). The function of the element of culture in The Alchemist. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 7(12), 1054-1058.

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Miss Manners: Is it ever too late to send a thank you note?

Dear Miss Manners: I’m a terrible procrastinator. I have procrastinated sending thank-you letters for multiple years for multiple events (our wedding, my baby shower, our child’s birthday parties). The worst offense is our wedding, five years ago.

Is it ever too late to send a thank-you letter? Could I send a single thank-you now, for the gifts and attendance to all these events?

Yes, but it had better be a good one. Being a procrastinator is not a decent excuse, and Miss Manners is not going to let you off the hook by declaring a statute of limitations.

What you need to atone for is not postponement so much as blatantly apparent ingratitude. So you need to name and praise your use of each of these presents (at least vaguely, if you can’t remember what they were) and also express appreciation for your benefactors’ continued thoughtfulness and generosity over the years. Yes, this will be a lot of work. But when you do not pay a debt when it is due, it accrues interest.

Dear Miss Manners: A few months ago, I was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer. I had many friends, family members and colleagues send gifts, cards, emails and texts, for which I know that I am very, very lucky.

Most of these occurred in the first month after my diagnosis, which was a flurry of tests, procedures and doctor’s appointments. I tried to keep up with sending thank-you notes or responding to emails, but it was quite overwhelming. Unfortunately, many slipped through the cracks. Now a couple months have passed. What is the etiquette for sending thanks or responding at this point?

Sadly, you do have a legitimate excuse. Etiquette is not so heartless as to discount genuinely overwhelming circumstances.

Still, you do want to show your appreciation. Miss Manners reminds you that some of those kind people will surely have asked what they can do to help. One or more of them could make your task easier by taking dictation from you to write on your behalf.

Dear Miss Manners: I have noticed that mourners now applaud at funerals after a memorial speech. Maybe I am old-school, but I do not remember this being done until lately. I would personally prefer no applause.

Whether this was started by those who grew up on a parental chorus of “Good job!” for every action or is just part of America’s orientation toward show business, Miss Manners cannot say. But yes, solemn occasions are now often punctuated by applause. To applaud a funeral tribute does take the focus from honoring the deceased to congratulating the speaker. Even applauding music that is a formal part of religious services suggests that it is done to please an audience, not to glorify God.

So Miss Manners agrees with you, but sees little hope of convincing others that thoughtful silence can be more meaningful than noise.

New Miss Manners columns are posted Monday through Saturday on washingtonpost.com/advice . You can send questions to Miss Manners at her website, missmanners.com . You can also follow her @RealMissManners.

© 2024 Judith Martin

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In Battle Over Health Care Costs, Private Equity Plays Both Sides

As medical practices owned by private equity firms fuel overbilling, a payment tool also backed by such investors helps insurers boost their profits.

By Chris Hamby

Insurance companies have long blamed private-equity-owned hospitals and physician groups for exorbitant billing that drives up health care costs. But a tool backed by private equity is helping insurers make billions of dollars and shift costs to patients.

The tool, Data iSight, is the premier offering of a cost-containment firm called MultiPlan that has attracted round after round of private equity investment since positioning itself as a central player in the lucrative medical payments field. Today Hellman & Friedman, the California-based private equity giant, and the Saudi Arabian government’s sovereign wealth fund are among the firm’s largest investors.

The evolution of Data iSight, which recommends how much of each medical bill should be paid, is an untold chapter in the story of private equity’s influence on American health care.

A New York Times investigation of insurers’ relationship with MultiPlan found that countering predatory billing is just one aspect of the collaboration. Low payments have burdened patients with unexpectedly large bills, slashed pay for doctors and other medical professionals and left employers that fund health plans with high, often unanticipated fees — all while making the country’s biggest health insurance companies a lot of money.

Often, when someone gets insurance through an employer and sees a doctor outside the plan’s network, the insurer routes the bill to MultiPlan to recommend an amount to pay. Both MultiPlan and the insurer receive processing fees from the employer, usually based on the size of the final payment: the smaller the payout, the bigger the fees.

This business model has made Data iSight a cash cow. Of the handful of tools MultiPlan offers insurers, Data iSight consistently makes the most frugal recommendations, typically resulting in the highest fees.

MultiPlan, which has been publicly traded since 2020, did not respond to detailed questions about Data iSight. A statement issued by an outside public relations firm said MultiPlan’s payment recommendations were fair and “widely accepted.” It said the company was “committed to lowering out-of-network costs,” including by using “data-driven tools to determine fair reimbursements.”

In recent years, concern over private equity’s investments in medical practices has grown, as studies have documented rising bills. Insurers and MultiPlan say that Data iSight is a necessary counterweight.

Caught between these moneyed interests are patients, who are mostly in the dark. If they encounter Data iSight’s name, it is typically in the fine print of dense paperwork. Those who have complained said they got little more than assurances that the calculations were rigorous and fair.

For Mary Lavigne, who has chronic pain, chiropractor appointments near Irvine, Calif., almost doubled in cost. Nadia Salim’s Boston-area therapy appointments also became almost twice as expensive. And Andrew Faehnle was on the hook for more than two-thirds of an ambulance bill after his 14-year-old was rushed to an emergency room in Anaheim, Calif. In each case, insurance statements cited Data iSight.

“I thought, ‘Who the heck are these people?’” Mr. Faehnle said. “I started Googling, ‘What’s Data iSight?’”

‘The Time Seemed Right’

MultiPlan’s business model is based on simple math: Take the amount a doctor charges, subtract MultiPlan’s recommended payout, and you have what the firm identifies as a savings or discount. Usually, MultiPlan and the insurer each collect a percentage of that declared savings as a processing fee.

This arrangement helps insurers profit from the most common way Americans get health coverage: through an employer that pays medical claims with its own money, using an insurer only as an administrator. Using MultiPlan, insurers cut medical bills, then charge employers for doing so.

For decades, MultiPlan determined payments primarily through negotiations. The discounts were modest but came with an agreement not to collect more from patients.

After MultiPlan’s founder, Donald Rubin, sold it in 2006, the company’s new private equity owners began a move toward automated pricing that executives would later call “MultiPlan 2.0.”

In 2010, it bought Viant, an Illinois-based firm that used algorithms to recommend reimbursements . But for some types of care, Viant’s calculations used a database of billed amounts. So if medical providers charged more over time, the recommended payments were also likely to rise.

A small firm in Grapevine, Texas, had developed an alternative strategy. Rather than start with a bill and negotiate it down, Tom Galas, a former insurance executive, wanted to calculate the cost of care and negotiate it up.

Mr. Galas bought an analytics firm called Data Advantage in 2005 and assigned a team at his company, National Care Network, to execute his vision. The result was Data iSight.

It drew on data that medical facilities submitted to the federal government and techniques developed by Medicare to estimate treatment costs. It then threw in some extra money, meant to allow a fair profit. The goal was to save insurers and employers money without paying so little that providers would sue them or go after patients for the balance.

In 2011, Mr. Galas sold to MultiPlan.

“The industry was condensing,” he said. “The time seemed right.”

Though he considered Data iSight revolutionary, he said, even he didn’t anticipate what it would become.

‘MultiPlan Is Magic’

Executives from the country’s major insurers gathered in Laguna Beach, Calif., in 2019 and heard from Dale White, a MultiPlan executive vice president.

He presented a slide showing the cover of a self-help book, “Life Is Magic,” that had been digitally altered to show Mr. White’s face and to read “MultiPlan Is Magic.” The slide added: “We have a few things up our sleeve, too.”

The firm’s annual revenues had reached about $1 billion, and three sets of private equity investors had cashed in. After buying MultiPlan for just over $3 billion in 2010 from the Carlyle Group, the firms BC Partners and Silver Lake sold it for a reported $4.4 billion in 2014 to Starr Investment Holdings and Partners Group, which sold it two years later to Hellman & Friedman for a reported $7.5 billion.

Hellman & Friedman, which owned the company when it went public in 2020, declined to comment.

Fueling the growth was Data iSight. The annual revenue it brought MultiPlan grew from $23 million in 2012 to more than $323 million in 2019, according to an investor presentation in 2020. The next year, the chief executive, Mark Tabak, told investors that Data iSight was MultiPlan’s top moneymaker among its biggest insurance customers.

While the company continued to offer other tools, it pitched Data iSight as an “industry-leading” and “state-of-the-art” way to “maximize savings.”

For insurers, the tool came with trade-offs: lower payments but potentially more patient complaints. They rolled it out gradually. The nation’s largest insurer by revenue, UnitedHealthcare, began using it in 2016 for certain plans and treatments, documents show.

As Data iSight spread, patients, doctors and medical facilities began receiving unwelcome surprises. Some practices that had negotiated contracts with MultiPlan found that they no longer received their agreed-upon rate, and patients were no longer protected from big bills.

Brett Lockhart had spine surgery at a facility near Cocoa, Fla., that had a negotiated rate with MultiPlan. When his insurer used Data iSight, he found himself on the hook for nearly $300,000. The bill is the subject of litigation and remains unpaid.

‘Crazy Low’ Payments

There was more to MultiPlan’s rising fortunes than just an increase in the number of claims. The average fee from each claim also grew, executives told investors.

In a presentation shortly before it became a publicly traded company in 2020, MultiPlan stressed that its tools were “scalable”: Reducing payments by just half a percent could yield an additional $10 million in profits, the company said.

After MultiPlan fell short of a revenue target in 2022, Mr. White, who had become chief executive, assured investors that the company had an “action plan” that included “aggressively implementing new initiatives with our customers to help them cope with accelerating health care costs.”

A change to Data iSight’s methodology, he said, should produce an additional $6 million in revenue.

MultiPlan has told investors it plans further “enhancements” to the tools, including use of artificial intelligence.

As patients and providers have demanded an explanation for declining payments, MultiPlan has fought to keep details about Data iSight confidential, contending in lawsuits that the information is proprietary.

Interviews and documents, some obtained after The Times petitioned federal courts, offer some insights .

Data iSight starts by using Medicare’s methods for setting rates. But subsequent calculations are less transparent. MultiPlan says it applies multipliers that allow for a fair profit for hospitals and something approximating a fair market rate for physicians. The documents show that MultiPlan allows insurers to cap prices and set what they consider fair profit margins for medical facilities.

MultiPlan has pitched Data iSight as an alternative to simply paying marked-up Medicare rates, an option some insurers offer. Paying around 120 percent of the government-set rate “sounds fair, maybe even generous,” one MultiPlan document said, but this is “inherently misleading” because “the average consumer does not understand just how low Medicare rates are.”

Interviews and documents, however, indicate that Data iSight’s recommended prices are sometimes about 160 to 260 percent of Medicare rates — amounts former MultiPlan employees described as “ridiculously low” and “crazy low.”

Even rates that may sound reasonable can strain medical practices. For example, UnitedHealthcare, citing Data iSight, offered Dr. Darius Kohan roughly 350 percent of the Medicare rate for a surgery to repair a patient’s eardrum. It amounted to $3,855.36.

Dr. Kohan, who has a small practice in Manhattan, said skimpy payments were forcing him to consider joining a large hospital system or private-equity-backed group.

“I am a dinosaur, but my patients like that,” he said. “I may not be able to sustain it.”

Chris Hamby is an investigative reporter for The Times, based in Washington. More about Chris Hamby