Free Custom «The Alchemist» Essay Paper

The Alchemist is a book written by Paulo Coelho, which details the journey of a young boy known as Santiago. Santiago decides to travel to the pyramids in Egypt in search of treasure after he dreamt about it (Paulo 5-9). As he travels, he gets to experience about danger, love, disaster, opportunity, and also gets to know much about himself and the people he met. Among the characters he meets is Melchizedek, who speaks to him about getting to discover his personal legend; what he has wanted to achieve in his life. He gets to learn that the universe will help an individual achieve what he or she wants. He also meets Fatima, an Arabian woman who encourages him that he would find whatever he seeks by following his heart. He then meets a lone alchemist who narrates to him on the topic of personal legends. The alchemist makes an observation that instead of finding the legend itself, most people only seek to find the treasure of their personal legends. This statement gets him into a lot of thinking. The alchemist also notes that, individuals who fail to understand their personal legends fail to get its teachings.

 

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The influence of Christianity in Paulo Coelho's, The Alchemist, enhances the plot of the story in a number of ways. The boy known as Santiago in the book became aware of his personal calling. This is among the many teachings in Christianity, that all the people in this world have a calling; one only needs to know which one it is. A personal calling is referred to as God's blessing. This is the way or path that God chooses for each individual here on earth. Just like Santiago in the Alchemist, one follows his or her legend by doing something that gets him or her to be enthusiastic (Paulo 40-7). Santiago dreamt about finding treasure somewhere in Egypt, and he woke up one morning and set off for a long journey that took a long time.

The plot of the Alchemist story is also influenced by Christianity in that, individuals who get to pursue their spiritual quest always have to travel through a lot of hurdles on the way so as to achieve it. By passing through different places, one gets to learn about other people, what influences them, and how they attain their personal fulfillment. This is what recurs itself in the plot of the story; Santiago passes through different conditions that teach him a lot in life (Paulo 80-9).

The Alchemist is a piece of writing that tells the story of each individual's journey through the personal life. It acts like a spiritual guide that offers one to identify his or her dream as well as follow it. Characters like King Melchizedek are of the Old Testament in the bible. Melchizedek gives Santiago the Thummim and Urim to guide him through his struggles and trials. The Alchemist and Melchizedek also use a number of paraphrased biblical truths throughout the entire book. The plot of the story is a spiritual journey that touches on an individual's trials and tribulations before attaining peace and tranquility.

As represented by Santiago, the story in Alchemist identifies a number of challenges, as well as fulfillments of the spiritual attainment. The boy at first gets enrolled to study in a seminary school under the wishes of his parents. However, he chooses to leave and become a shepherd because he could not see any presence of God in the seminary. He then sets off on a journey that will see his soul rest at peace.

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The end of the story has Santiago finding his treasure in his homeland and not in a faraway land after selling his animals. The other message that comes out of the story is that, the treasure that humanity seeks is not material but spiritual. The treasure represents the self-awareness of oneness and togetherness with the world. This depicts that all people should find their treasures in the hearts. These are among the basic teachings of the Christianity faith. Christianity demands that all people forsake their material wealth, just like Santiago sold his wealth, and seek spiritual fulfillment with God. God represents the highest being that brings all humanity together. The Christianity faith also demands that people should not look for material wealth but peace of the soul and mind.

The plot of the story shows Santiago finding his treasure under a tree in his homeland. The tree had grown in an abandoned church where the sacristy once stood (Paulo 125-8). In my view, the church could probably depict an environment where one can find spiritual peace or enlightment. Notably, the Buddha also gained his spiritual enlightment while meditating under a tree. This whole story gets inspiration from the church background and under the Bible's teachings of the Old Testament.

In conclusion, the Alchemist is a story about book a journey made by a young shepherd boy known as Santiago. Santiago decides to travel to the pyramids in Egypt in search of treasure after he dreamt about it. On his way, he gets to experience about danger, love, disaster, opportunity, and also gets to know much about himself and the people he met. The influence of Christianity in Paulo Coelho's, The Alchemist, enhances the plot of the story in a number of ways. Santiago gets to be influenced by a number of people such as the Alchemist and Melchizedek, who use a number of paraphrased biblical truths throughout the entire book. The plot of the story is a spiritual journey that touches on an individual's trials and tribulations before attaining peace and tranquility.