Synopsis & Guide to The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

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Everything you need to know about the Brazilian novel The Alchemist
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Brazilian author Paulo Coelho wrote The Alchemist in just two weeks in 1988. The story of Santiago, a Spanish shepherd pursuing his dream of treasure, appeals to audiences for its inspiring message, simple but beautiful language, and deep wisdom. We’re breaking down an in-depth, chapter-by-chapter summary of The Alchemist , including a list of characters, the main lessons, and how people respond to it.

Quick Synopsis of The Alchemist

In The Alchemist , a shepherd named Santiago leaves his home to pursue his Personal Legend—a dream of finding treasure buried near the pyramids of Egypt. Along the way, he’s encouraged by mystical characters, and he discovers that all things are connected through the Soul of the Universe.

Section 1 of 5:

Summary of The Alchemist

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  1. The alchemist reads the story of Narcissus. After Narcissus falls into the lake, a goddess asks the lake why it is crying, and the lake responds it missed seeing the beauty of its own reflection in Narcissus’s eyes.
    • Analysis: Coelho’s Narcissus myth ends with a surprising twist, implying that perhaps vanity isn’t a fatal flaw. This individualistic view is important to the later events of the story, where Santiago must learn to trust in himself and his dreams. [1]
    • Quote: “I weep because, each time he knelt beside my banks, I could see, in the depths of his eyes, my own beauty reflected.” “What a lovely story,” the alchemist thought.
  2. 2
    Part 1 Section 1—The Dream A shepherd named Santiago sleeps under a sycamore tree growing in an abandoned church in Spain. Each time he sleeps under the tree, he has the same dream of treasure buried under an Egyptian pyramid. He decides to visit a gypsy who interprets dreams.
    • Character insights: In this chapter, we discover that Santiago is an avid reader who thinks deeply about the world around him—he frequently contemplates the nature of his sheep and the people who buy wool from him. We also learn that Santiago’s father wanted him to be a priest, but he chose to become a shepherd because he wanted to travel.
    • Analysis: This chapter introduces us to our main character, a shepherd who loves traveling and finds contentment in his peaceful days. There’s an emphasis on dreams, both literal (Santiago’s dream under the sycamore tree) and figurative (his desire to become a shepherd). [2]
    • Quote: “The boy could see in his father’s gaze a desire to be able, himself, to travel the world — a desire that was still alive, despite his father’s having had to bury it, over dozens of years.”
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  3. 3
    Part 1 Section 2 Santiago tells the gypsy about his dream, and she tells Santiago that he must go to Egypt to find the treasure. Santiago then meets a wise old man who introduces himself as Melchizedek, the King of Salem. Melchizedek mysteriously knows the name of Santiago’s parents, and he says he will help Santiago pursue his fate—or Personal Legend—and find the treasure.
    • Analysis: Santiago’s curiosity and adventurous spirit are starting to lead him on the path to his Personal Legend. Melchizedek appears as Santiago begins to doubt the gypsy’s words, which underscores the book’s message that the universe will work to help you achieve your dreams.
    • Foreshadowing: The gypsy asks for 10% of the treasure and Melchizedek asks for 10% of Santiago’s sheep, which hints at the book’s theme that following one’s Personal Legend requires sacrifice.
    • Quote: “It’s this: that at a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what’s happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate. That’s the world’s greatest lie.”
  4. 4
    Part 1 Section 3 Melchizedek explains that each person has a Personal Legend they must follow to be truly happy. He tells Santiago that he appears to people who are close to giving up on the pursuit of their Personal Legend. Santiago decides to keep being a shepherd, but after feeling a wind called the levanter that blows out of Africa, he tells Melchizedek the next day that he has decided to sell his sheep and go on the journey.
    • Character insights: Melchizedek reveals that under his plain clothing, he is wearing a jeweled breastplate. He gives Santiago two stones called Urim and Thummim to help him read omens. Melchizedek is painted as a mystical figure here—a god, although he speaks to One higher than himself—and he muses on helping Abraham follow his Personal Legend.
    • Analysis: In this chapter, Melchizedek introduces the idea that following one’s dreams is actually their life’s purpose. [3] He also uses phrases like The Soul of the World and Personal Legend, which reinforces the book’s theme of magical realism.
    • Quote: “And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”
  5. 5
    Part 1 Section 4 Santiago leaves for Tangiers, and while he sits at a bar, he meets another young man who offers to help him. However, this young man robs Santiago and takes all of his money. Santiago decides to continue pursuing his dream anyway, and he meets a crystal merchant who offers him a job.
    • Analysis: We see an emphasis on the importance of omens—when Santiago is considering going home, the stones Urim and Thummim fall out of his pocket and he resolves to keep going. And while he is cleaning crystal in the merchant’s shop, two customers arrive and make a purchase, which the merchant takes as a good omen.
    • Character insights: We discover that each person’s Personal Legend is different. For Santiago, it’s his quest. A candy maker in Tangiers is said to be living out his own Personal Legend, but the crystal merchant has unfulfilled dreams, so he is not fully content. [4]
    • Quote: “There must be a language that doesn’t depend on words, the boy thought. I’ve already had that experience with my sheep, and now it’s happening with people.”
  6. 6
    Part 2 Section 5 As Santiago works for the crystal merchant, he suggests various ways to increase business. The merchant is hesitant because he’s anxious about change, even positive change. He tells Santiago that his Personal Legend is to go on a trip to Mecca, but he worries that if he achieved his dream, he wouldn’t have a purpose anymore. The shop becomes successful, and after a year, Santiago decides to continue on his Personal Legend.
    • Analysis: The crystal merchant serves as a counterpart to Santiago—he demonstrates the dangers of allowing fear to stop us from pursuing our dreams. However, he ultimately trusts in Santiago, and his shop flourishes. This section emphasizes that sometimes we have to push out of our comfort zone to succeed.
    • Quote: “Yet the boy felt that there was another way to regard his situation: he was actually two hours closer to his treasure … the fact that the two hours had stretched into an entire year didn’t matter.”
  7. 7
    Part 2 Section 6 An Englishman studies a book on alchemy as he prepares for a caravan journey. Santiago joins the group and the caravan departs across the desert. Santiago and the Englishman become friends, and eventually the caravan reaches an oasis as a tribal war takes hold of the desert around them.
    • Analysis: We learn that the Englishman is seeking a 200-year-old alchemist in the desert, a hint at the character behind the book’s title. This chapter also introduces some important concepts about alchemy, including The Soul of the World and the most important text in alchemy, a few lines inscribed on an emerald.
    • Character insights: On the caravan journey, Santiago spends his time deeply contemplating the desert, while the Englishman mostly reads. Santiago has an intuitive understanding of what the Englishman has spent years studying, which creates some tension between the two. [5]
    • Quote: “The boy was beginning to understand that intuition is really a sudden immersion of the soul into the universal current of life, where the histories of all people are connected, and we are able to know everything, because it’s all written there.”
  8. 8
    Part 2 Section 7 After the caravan arrives in the oasis, called Al-Fayoum, Santiago helps the Englishman search for the alchemist. Santiago meets and instantly falls in love with a beautiful girl named Fatima. Each day, Santiago and Fatima meet at the well, and she encourages him to continue pursuing his Personal Legend after the war. The Englishman meets the alchemist, and his answer for how to turn lead into gold is to “go and try,” which frustrates the Englishman.
    • Analysis: Santiago and Fatima appear drawn together by fate, which underscores the novel’s theme of everything being connected on a person’s journey to follow their dreams. Meanwhile, the alchemist waits for an apprentice, but he appears to reject the Englishman.
    • Character insights: Fatima explains to Santiago that the women in the oasis are accustomed to their men leaving to fight in wars or go on other long journeys, and she will be proud to wait for him while he follows his Personal Legend.
    • Quote: “And the boy sat there by the well for a long time, remembering that one day in Tarfa the levanter had brought to him the perfume of that woman, and realizing he had loved her before he even knew she existed. He knew that his love for her would enable him to discover every treasure in the world.”
  9. 9
    Part 2 Section 8 While walking on the desert just outside the oasis, Santiago watches a pair of hawks, and he has a vision of an army attacking the oasis. He tells the leader of the caravan, who tells Santiago to warn the oasis chieftains. The leader of the chieftains says he will allow the men of the oasis to carry weapons for one day, but if no attack occurs, Santiago will be killed.
    • Analysis: This chapter returns to the significance of dreams and visions—Santiago feels that his vision in the desert is an omen. He’s hesitant to share that with others, but he ultimately decides to trust his intuition and his understanding of The Language of the World.
    • Character insights: The old man who leads the chieftain points out that Joseph’s interpretation of Pharaoh’s dreams saved Egypt from famine, so he gives Santiago the chance to prove himself and save the oasis.
    • Quote: “Arms are as capricious as the desert, and, if they are not used, the next time they might not function. If at least one of them hasn’t been used by the end of the day tomorrow, one will be used on you.”
  10. 10
    Part 2 Section 9 As Santiago is leaving the chieftains, he meets the alchemist, who tells him that he must continue following his Personal Legend. The following morning, an army attacks the oasis, but the tribe is prepared and successfully defeats the entire army. The leader of the chieftains gives Santiago 50 pieces of gold. That night, Santiago visits the alchemist, who tells him to sell his camel and buy a horse.
    • Analysis: It becomes clear that Santiago’s vision was an omen, and he saved the oasis by paying attention to the signs. This shows that he has truly begun to understand the Soul of the World. That draws the attention of the alchemist, who then decides to help Santiago follow his Personal Legend.
    • Quote: “Remember that wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure. You’ve got to find the treasure, so that everything you have learned along the way can make sense.”
  11. 11
    Part 2 Section 10 The next evening, Santiago and the alchemist journey into the desert. Santiago is hesitant to leave Fatima, but the alchemist explains that if he stays, Santiago will eventually become dissatisfied because he abandoned his search for his Personal Legend. They travel for a week through the desert, and the alchemist teaches Santiago about listening to his heart to understand the Soul of the World.
    • Analysis: Once again, we see Santiago hesitating in the quest for his Personal Legend, but the universe sends him the alchemist to encourage him to keep going. This section also emphasizes the theme of quietly observing and listening in order to be in tune with nature and the universe.
    • Quote: “You must know that love never keeps a man from pursuing his Personal Legend. If he abandons that pursuit, it’s because it wasn’t true love … the love that speaks the Language of the World.”
  12. 12
    Part 2 Section 11 Santiago and the alchemist continue their journey. They meet tribesmen who don’t believe the alchemist when he says he’s carrying the Philosopher’s Stone and the Elixir of Life. A few days later, the pair are captured by a larger group of tribesmen. The alchemist tells them that Santiago is a powerful alchemist who will turn himself into wind in three days.
    • Analysis: This section is full of danger—Santiago and the alchemist face three different groups, and although they escape the first two without harm, the third group is much larger and the two are captured.
    • Character insights: In this section, Santiago engages in conversations with his heart—he learns that while his heart experiences fear and a longing for Fatima, it also connects him to the Soul of the World, and Santiago must learn to listen to his heart without becoming distracted by it.
    • Quote: “Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second’s encounter with God and with eternity.”
  13. 13
    Part 2 Section 12 Three days later, as the tribal leaders approach, Santiago asks the wind for help, and a breeze starts to blow. The wind says it doesn’t know what to do and blows harder. Santiago asks the sun for help, and it shines more brightly and the wind blows even harder. Finally, Santiago prays to the Hand That Wrote All, and as he discovers that he is part of the Soul of God, he miraculously disappears and reappears on the other side of the camp.
    • Analysis: This is Santiago’s greatest test on his journey to follow his Personal Legend. He must overcome his fear, communicate with the desert, the elements, and God, and fully become one with the Soul of the World.
    • Character insights: The alchemist does not provide help to Santiago in his quest to learn how to transform into the wind. This is something he must do on his own, building on the theme of individualism that begins in the Prologue.
    • Quote: “The boy reached through to the Soul of the World, and saw that it was a part of the Soul of God. And he saw that the Soul of God was his own soul. And that he, a boy, could perform miracles.”
  14. 14
    Part 2 Section 13 Santiago and the alchemist continue on their journey, stopping a few hours from the pyramids. The alchemist demonstrates to Santiago the practice of turning lead into gold, then Santiago continues his journey alone. He reaches the pyramids and begins to dig, but he is attacked. One of the attackers tells Santiago that his dreams are worthless, and that he’s had a similar dream of a treasure buried under a sycamore tree that grows inside a church in Spain.
    • Analysis: Santiago must complete the final portion of his journey alone. He finally reaches what he believes to be his destination, only to discover that the treasure was where he began. However, if he had found the treasure from the beginning, he wouldn’t have learned about the Soul of the World or met Fatima.
    • Quote: “The alchemist said, ‘No matter what he does, every person on earth plays a central role in the history of the world. And normally he doesn’t know it.’”
  15. Santiago arrives back at the church and digs under the sycamore tree where he slept at the beginning of the story. He finds a chest full of gold and jewels. He puts Urim and Thummim on the chest and leaves to give the gypsy the 10% he promised her, then plans to return to Fatima.
    • Analysis: By overcoming his fears and persisting on his journey, Santiago accomplishes his Personal Legend and finds the treasure.
    • Quote: “It’s true; life really is generous to those who pursue their Personal Legend, the boy thought.”
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Section 2 of 5:

Main Characters

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  1. 1
    Santiago A Spanish shepherd and the protagonist of the story. His parents originally wanted him to be a priest, but he wanted to travel, so he bought a flock of sheep. He begins the novel already in tune with the natural world around him, and this only deepens throughout the course of the story.
  2. 2
    Melchizedek A wise old man, possibly a god, who encourages Santiago to follow the omens and pursue his Personal Legend.
  3. 3
    The crystal merchant A merchant who hires Santiago to work in his crystal shop. His fears have stopped him from pursuing his own Personal Legend, but he encourages Santiago and the two form a close relationship.
  4. 4
    The Englishman Santiago’s companion in the caravan. The Englishman is pursuing the study of alchemy, but he prefers to learn from books rather than personal experiences, which holds him back.
  5. 5
    Fatima A beautiful girl in Al-Fayoum. Santiago and Fatima fall in love, but she encourages him to continue pursuing his Personal Legend.
  6. 6
    The alchemist A skilled alchemist who’s rumored to be over 200 years old. He teaches Santiago about connecting to the Soul of the World and ultimately helps him achieve his Personal Legend.
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Section 3 of 5:

Themes

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  1. Over and over again, Santiago has to overcome fear in order to achieve his Personal Legend. But he’s helped along the way, because the universe wants people to follow and achieve their dreams.
  2. 2
    The interconnectedness of all things A major theme in The Alchemist involves the Language of the World, a concept through which all of nature can communicate without words. Santiago learns that he has been aware of this language since before his journey, because he was able to understand his sheep when he was still a shepherd.
  3. 3
    The power of love Throughout the novel, Coelho emphasizes the importance of love. In Santiago’s dramatic transformation at the end, he tells the sun that love is the secret to alchemy: “And that’s where the power of love comes in. Because when we love, we always strive to become better than we are.”
    • The love between Fatima and Santiago is also a driving force for Santiago towards the end of his journey—and it’s implied that their future love even inspired the beginning of the journey, when her perfume came to Santiago on the levanter.
  4. When Melchizedek and Santiago are in the plaza, the old man tells the boy of a nearby baker who had dreams of traveling, but who decided that it was more important to be respectable, so he bought a bakery. Later, the alchemist tells Santiago that if he abandons his search for his Personal Legend, he will eventually become discontent, putting strain on his relationship with Fatima.
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Section 4 of 5:

Praise & Criticism

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  1. The core theme of the novel is the importance of following your dreams, which is very empowering to a lot of readers. The novel didn’t sell many copies immediately after it was released, but it eventually became immensely popular, selling over 65 million copies in more than 80 languages. [6]
    • The Alchemist is a short, easy-to-read novel, which likely adds to its popularity. That said, many people find it quite beautiful despite (or maybe because of) its simplicity.
  2. 2
    Some people feel that The Alchemist is trite and lacks subtlety. Although The Alchemist is tremendously popular, there are plenty of people who don’t respond to it. Some people believe that the language is oversimplified and the message is obvious and shallow. [7]
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Section 5 of 5:

About the Author

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  1. Paulo Coelho was born in Brazil in 1947. He had a difficult childhood, spending time in psychiatric facilities. In 1970, he spent time traveling, but eventually returned home, where he spent time writing lyrics—he even spent some time in prison after writing songs that opposed the Brazilian government. [8]
    • In 1986, at the age of 39, Coelho went on a pilgrimage, walking 500 mi (800 km) along the Road to Santiago de Compostela. [9]
    • Coelho wrote his first novel, O diario de um mago ( The Diary of a Magus/The Pilgrimage ) in 1987, based on his journey. He wrote The Alchemist in 1988.
    • To date, Coelho has written over 30 novels.

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      References

      1. ↑ https://paulinehawkins.com/2012/10/07/the-alchemist-12-the-beauty-of-narcissus/
      2. ↑ https://www.bartleby.com/lit/the-alchemist/summary-and-analysis/part-1-section-1
      3. ↑ https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2020/06/22/the-alchemist-by-paulo-coelho-spoilers/
      4. ↑ https://www.bartleby.com/lit/the-alchemist/summary-and-analysis/part-1-section-3
      5. ↑ https://www.coursehero.com/lit/The-Alchemist/part-2-first-encounters-with-the-englishman-summary/
      6. ↑ https://www.oprah.com/inspiration/oprah-talks-to-the-alchemist-author-paulo-coelho/all
      7. ↑ https://literaryvittles.wordpress.com/2014/09/17/is-this-a-joke-paulo-coelhos-the-alchemist/
      8. ↑ https://www.britannica.com/biography/Paulo-Coelho
      9. ↑ https://www.biography.com/authors-writers/paulo-coelho

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