The Alchemist

A Splore user • March 13, 2011

About this Splore

Book links for the Chelsea Book Club--and anyone who would like to read along with us.

We are an actual book club that meets once a month. Here's our website: http://chelseabookclub.weebly.com/

The book this month is The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.

If you are reading a good book, please tell us; we always like to have good recommendations.

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Study Questions

1. Examine at least three instances where Santiago has to pay a price to fulfill his dream. Does he ever find the price too high? Why or why not?

2. What does the author mean when he says that “alchemy is all about pursuing our spiritual quest in the physical world as it was given to us? It is the art of transmuting reality into something sacred, of mixing the sacred with the profane.” How does this statement apply to Santiago?

3. Name any five lessons Santiago learned and how he mastered them.

More Study Questions

4. The prologue of The Alchemist includes a unique retelling of the myth of Narcissus. The traditional understanding of this myth is that it is a warning against self-love. What is the relationship of the prologue to the rest of the story?

5. What is the significance of the fact that Santiago hails from the southern part of Spain? Do you think that the cultural history of this region affects the overall meaning of the book?

6. Fatima, Santiago's love interest, defines herself by her resignation to and support of Santiago's quest. What do you think the narrative is trying to say about the role of women or the role of love in general?

7. While Santiago's quest yields significant spiritual insights, its original motive is monetary gain. What is the narrative of The Alchemist trying to say about the relationship between material wealth and spirituality?

8. The Alchemist is clearly a novel about spiritual growth. Do you think that its message is at odds with organized religion?

9. Tradition plays a major role in Santiago's personal life and in the life of the people he meets in his travels. Describe the different viewpoints that the novel presents on tradition.

10. When Santiago is lost and alone in Tangiers, the owner of the crystal shop offers him a position at his shop. What does Santiago learn from his time at the crystal shop?

11. Although Melchizedek plays a major role in Santiago's decision to continue in search of his treasure, he only appears once in the book. Does he have any connection with the other characters that appear in the book?

12. How do you think the style of The Alchemist affects its meaning?

Character List

Santiago

Santiago is the protagonist of the The Alchemist. Born in a small town in Andalusia, Santiago attends the seminary as a boy but longs to travel the world. He finally gets the courage to ask his father's permission to become a shepherd so that he can travel the fields of Andalusia. One day, he meets a mysterious man in the town of Tarifa, who sends him on a journey to the other side of Africa.

Santiago is a curious boy whose open mind makes him particularly suited to finding his Personal Legend. He also values his freedom very highly, which is why he became a shepherd and why he is reticent to get involved in things which threaten his freedom. In the end, he realizes that playing it safe is often more threatening to his freedom than taking a risk.

Melchizedek

Melchizedek is the king of Salem, a mysterious far-off land. Melchizedek appears to Santiago in the town square of Tarifa, where he tells Santiago about the Soul of the World and his Personal Legend for the first time. Melchizedek always appears to people who are trying to live their Personal Legend, even if they don't know it. While he appears at first to be dressed in common Arab dress, at one point he pulls aside his cloak to reveal a gold breastplate encrusted with precious stones. He also gives Santiago the magical stones Urim and Thummim.

The Englishman

Santiago meets the Englishman on the caravan to Al-Fayoum. The Englishman is trying to become a great alchemist and is traveling to Al-Fayoum to study with a famous alchemist who is rumored to be over 200 years old and to have the ability to turn any metal into gold. Santiago learns much about alchemy from the Englishman, who lends Santiago his books while they travel across the Sahara.

Fatima

A beautiful girl who lives at the Al-Fayoum oasis. Santiago falls in love with her at the well there. He and Fatima talk everyday for several weeks, and finally he asks her to marry him. Fatima, however, insists that he seek out his Personal Legend before they marry. This perplexes Santiago, but the Alchemist teaches him that true love never gets in the way of one's Personal Legend. If it does, then it is not true love.

The Alchemist

Very powerful alchemist who lives at the Al-Fayoum oasis in Egypt. Initially, Santiago hears about him through the Englishman, but eventually Santiago reveals himself to be the Alchemist's true disciple. The Alchemist dresses in all black and uses a falcon to hunt for game. The Alchemist is also in possession of the Elixir of Life and the Philosopher's Stone.

The Shopkeeper

Gives Santiago a job in Tangiers after he has been robbed. Santiago takes the job at the crystal shop and learns much about the shopkeeper's attitude toward life and the importance of dreaming. The shopkeeper, while generally afraid to take risks, is a very kind man and understands Santiago's quest - sometimes more than Santiago himself. This is the case when the shopkeeper tells Santiago that he will not return to Spain, since it it is not his fate.

Barbara • March 13, 2011 at 9:35pm

I haven't read this or started it yet.

Has anyone read read it before? What do you think of it?

Show 1 Comment

Read it for school

It was one of our required reading books sophomore year in high school english class. I liked it. At times I found it a little strange, but it was a good story and if you look, you can get a lot out of it. It's been a while since I've read it, but from what I remember there were a lot of parallels and symbolism to our journey through life, and there is a strong message about finding our true purpose and fulfilling our dreams. Overall it was a good read.

yanna • March 14, 2011 at 10:31pm

I have been listening to it. The problem is I have a lot of distractions around here (5 of them!) So I know i have missed some of it, but that is the idea I was getting from what I have heard. Our journey through life and finding our purpose. We need you at our discussion!