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"When you want something truly from your heart, the whole universe conspires to help you to achieve it" quotes Paulo
Coelho in his novel "The Alchemist". Though it is a fiction work, it represents the reality of the bewildered humans and the success of those who dare to fulfill their dreams. Dreams are the most precious medium to realize one's wishes. If one is determined to achieve his/her vision, s/he should start working immediately for it.
Santiago, a shepherd from Spain is the characterized dreamer protagonist who dives into his dream world but has no clue about what it exactly means. His aim is to travel throughout the world and see the varieties of culture it embraced. Hence, instead of being a priest, he chooses to be a shepherd in order to voyage as per his desires. A recurring dream of treasure in the Pyramids craves his mind every time but is unable to understand what it alludes to precisely. Then, following the way of his fantasy he gets his dream interpreted and goes to the way to accomplish the fortune.
He is informed about his destiny by a king and so sets his travelogue. He learns about life from crystals like he learnt before from his sheep. He gains knowledge about love, life, destiny, patience, experiments, audacity and enthusiasm from the endless desert which he traverses through to reach the pyramids and achieve the riches.
However, he has the desire of seeing the merchant's daughter whom he met last year till he doesn't set out for the exploration of his treasure. Nonetheless, his illusion of attraction with her ends when he meets Fatima in the desert and discovers that she is his soul mate forever. He recognizes what true love is and how one feels when s/he meets the right person and recognizes him/her in the very first sight. He confesses," I love you because the whole universe conspired for me to come close to you." This probably indicates that we all are likely to get entangled within a shining stone while our goal is to achieve a precious gem. Yet, if we work persistently and industriously, we are sure to reach our goal.
The Alchemist is an expert who teaches the boy about the way to fortune. He himself has been living for 200 years and is able to produce gold from lead. He gained the Elixir of Life and the philosopher's stone after an incessant diligence. The boy understands about the soul of the world, language of the wind, sun clouds, birds, sand and the whole universe. Finally, after much of the adventures and struggle he gains the wisdom for life from every element he comes across that takes him to the treasure searched for so long, in Spain itself.
Coelho unites the small components of life with simplicity and symbolism using Santiago as the representative of the common beings wholeheartedly waiting for a direction leader who would enlighten us about the way to attain our dreams in life. Those who do not become conscious about their dreams never succeed like the crystal merchant who always wanted to go to Mecca. Nevertheless, his dream fades away as he never steps towards it though he accumulates enough wealth for his journey. He edifies that we all are the protagonists of our lives and are able to achieve the desired destiny if we recognize it in a very simple manner which makes his creation definitely a praiseworthy bestseller.
Published: March 23, 2009