Presented By:

Digant S. Desai - 057

Ajay G. Bairy - 098
 Paulo Coelho
 born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
 In 1980, he walked the 500 plus mile Road of Santiago in northwestern
Spain where he achieved a spiritual awakening that he later described in
The Alchemist
 He published The Alchemist in 1988.
 His style of writing is inspirational and motivating.
 Sold more than 20 million copies worldwide and has been translated into
at least fifty-six languages
 Other books –
 The Pilgrimage,
 The Zahir,
 Brida, etc
The Alchemist
 "WHEN YOU REALLY want something to happen, the whole universe
conspires so that your wish comes true."
These words echo throughout this novel. The author inspires that
one should not shy away from his dreams.

 The Alchemist, is written in a fable format.

 What is a fable?
 Generally speaking, fables use recognizable, simple characters and settings
in order to illustrate a simple truth about life or human nature.
The Plot…
 The story begins with a poor Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago
tending his flock in the countryside. He stops for the
night beneath a sycamore tree in the
courtyard of an abandoned church
and dreams of great treasure.
Curious as to the meaning of his
dream, Santiago sets to meet an
old gypsy woman in Tarifa. Santiago
enters the town of Tarifa where
the gypsy interprets his dreams. Then
he meets a mysterious stranger,
Melchizedek, the king of Salem,
who speaks to him of his dream
and the location of the treasure.
Melchizedek convinces the boy to embark
upon a physical and spiritual journey in search of
both self and financial reward.
The Plot…
 Santiago sets out on a journey from his homeland in Spain to the Egyptian
pyramids (where Melchizedek suggests he will
find his treasure). He goes to Tangier in Africa
where he is robbed of the money he raised by
selling his flock. He is forced into working at a
crystal shop where he learns that everyone’s fate is
written and that there is an unspoken Language of
The World which he must learn to speak.
 After a year in the service of the crystal seller Santiago has to
decide whether to return to Spain and purchase another flock
of sheep or to return to fulfill the journey towards his
treasure.
 Deciding to continue his journey, Santiago joins a caravan
that will take him across the desert. While in the caravan,
Santiago meets an Englishman who is in search of the secret
of alchemy. Santiago reads the Englishman’s books on
alchemy and concludes that there is nothing to be learned.
The Plot…
 In the middle of the desert, the caravan arrives at an oasis and cannot
proceed further due to the danger of tribal wars. While at the oasis, Santiago
falls in love with Fatima, a young desert girl and meets an old alchemist and
he must choose between remaining with his love or strike out once more on
his personal journey.
 Convinced by the Alchemist, Santiago leaves for the dangers of the desert.
After short journey, they are captured by one of the warring tribes.
The alchemist attempts to convince their captors that Santiago possesses the
power of the wind. Unconvinced, the captors demand demonstration
and Santiago is forced, over a three day period, to learn to speak with the
elements of the natural world and to harness their power.
Santiago initiates a competition between the wind sun and sand that
convinces his captors he has great powers and, afraid for their safety, allow
Santiago and the alchemist to carry on with their journey.
The Plot…
List of Major Characters
Santiago - He is a shepherd boy, who because of a recurring
dream, decides to find his treasure at the pyramids in Egypt.
Along the way, he meets a Gypsy woman, an Old King, a
crystal merchant, an Englishman, and an alchemist, all of
whom teach him something about fulfilling his Personal
Legend and striving to find his treasure. He is a very wise
young man and yet one who has much to learn. Because he
holds fast to his dream, he becomes a better man.
The Gypsy Woman - She is the first one Santiago consults
about his dream.

The Old King - He is the second to help Santiago and gives

him the stones named Urim and Thummim and some money
in exchange for his sheeps. He also advises Santiago to never
stop dreaming and follow the omens.

The Crystal Merchant - He is a man for whom Santiago

begins to work and who profits from the boy’s aptitude in
improving sales. He teaches Santiago how important it is to
follow through and not give up on his dream.

The Englishman - He is a young man who has spent ten years

of his life reading about alchemy with the hope of discovering
the Master Work.
The Alchemist

He is rumored to be over 200 years old and lives on the Al-

Fayoum oasis. He has an advanced sense that Santiago is
coming to the oasis and knows it is his responsibility to lead
him to the pyramids. Along the way, he teaches the boy much
about listening to his heart and reaching out for his dream no
matter what the cost. He never does anything for the boy
except guide him and allow him to learn for himself.

The alchemist has the Elixir of Life and the Philosopher’s Stone,
which allow him to make any metal into gold. That is his
Personal Legend, which he had achieved many years before.
Minor Characters
Fatima - She is the beautiful young woman whom Santiago meets at
a well on the oasis. She directs them to the alchemist, but in the
process of that first conversation, Santiago falls in love with her and
she eventually falls in love with him. As a desert woman, she is
willing to wait for him to find his treasure and fulfill his Personal
Legend.

The Camel Driver - Santiago meets him on the caravan journey to

the oasis and from him learns all about the importance of the
present. He had lost everything to the flooding of the Nile, but now
he is content to work as a camel driver and take one day at a time.

The Tribal Chieftain - He demands that Santiago turn himself into

the wind and in the process, discovers that the boy has seen the
glory of God.
LEARNINGS
The Alchemist is a novel that appeals instantly, because we
can easily identify with Santiago: as all of us have dreams, and
are dying for somebody to tell us or inspire us, that they may
come true.
This book has a central theme that if you do not follow your
dreams then you will be wasting your life afraid of taking a
chance, when you could be encountering an emotional,
spiritual, and life changing experience.
Minor Themes:
Perseverance, Faith, and the Need to overcome the
Obstacles of Life