Questions and Answers on the Book The Alchemist - Paper Example

1. Is there an element of narcissism in pursuit of ones personal legend? Explain.

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Indeed, there, is an incidence of narcissism in the book of Alchemist. The boy by the name Santiago displays narcissistic behavior when after reading the book, he bothers not for any other person to have a glance at the content of the book. This is shown when he decides to use the book as a pillow and places it on the ground and used it as a pillow (Coelho p.2). He claims to start reading big books to make him get more comfortable pillows. he told himself that he would have to start reading thicker books: they lasted longer and made more comfortable pillows (2). All these sentiments show that Santiago is more concerned with himself and does not consider any effect of using the books as a pillow rather than placing them on a shelf for future references.

Also, Santiago is inconsiderate of the needs of any other person who needs knowledge of the books he later uses as pillows after he has extracted the information and knowledge he wants. Santiago shows an extreme selfishness or egotism. Also, Coelho (2) says that the boy swept the floor with his jacket and lay down. This shows that he was not considerate on how he was going to cause damage to his coat by using it as a broom instead of finding a brush and a place to lay his body rather than causing damage to both the jacket and the book. Also, by saying that I wanted to sleep a little longer (3), he shows that he has an erotic interest in himself and he likes making his body to experience the best things in life. Santiago prays that the merchant to prolong to attend to him so as to enable him to make a conversation with the merchants daughter (p.3).

2. Do you believe in fate, or is the worlds Greatest Lie? Prove the statement using examples from the text or your life.

Being a belief in the forces that are attached to a supernatural force, fate is not something to put more trust in. I actually dont believe in fate. Just as the Santiago got disappointed and opted that he would never again believe in dreams even though he did not lose his money to pay the woman who interpreted his dreams, thats is the way I hate believing in fate (Coelho p.8). I believe and have strong assertions that dreams are only attached to what a person is interested in doing or what an individual had been busy doing during the day. It is just a reflection of ones undertaking during the day. It is not something that is attached to a supernatural force.

In the ancient years before Christ, according to biblical stories, supernatural powers used to have a connection to humans dreams. Fate was something that people believed in but in the current times, fate is not something to put trust to. Also, people who translate dreams are just human beings with the same weaknesses as I. the same interpreters of dreams have monetary aims and might make their interpretation to suit what some someone wants the same way Santiagos aim spearheaded the interpreters final remark, "I only interpret dreams. I don't know how to turn them into reality. That's why I have to live off what my daughters provide me with." (Coelho p.8). Fate, just like playing a card, it is gambling with life. Nothing comes as fate but rather a coincidence.

4. The merchants take on having a dream rather than fulfilling the dream to Santiagos rationale

It is true that it is better to have a dream as a valuable treasure rather than going forward to make it get fulfilled. This is because, the shepherd had a dream, and whenever his instincts made him find the meaning of the dream, he was made to start incurring costs of finding the solutions to what his dreams stipulated. Getting the price of a dream has its cost. For instance, for the shepherd to get to what his dream is set to pay him, he has to make so many sacrifices as the wise man, and the Gimpy had told him "Tomorrow, at this same time, bring me a tenth of your flock. And I will tell you how to find the hidden treasure. Good afternoon" (Coelho p. 14).

Santiago had sacrificed his six ships including one of his wisest sheep that used to produce more wool than other sheep (Coelho p.16). Secondly, the merchants opinion that is better to have a dream than to go forward to fulfill the dream is a real statement. The author through the wise man tells us that the baker had a dream but decided to follow another route of life that seem better than going to pay pilgrimage to Mecca in exchange of a fulfillment of someones dream. Following dreams has got challenges as said by the old man who came the second to interpret the dream of the shepherd, "Because you are trying to realize your destiny. And you are at the point where you're about to give it all up" (p.13). All the above evidence makes me support the merchants rationale that it is better to have a dream than to follow up the dream to fulfill it.

7. According to Santiago, everyone has his ways of learning things. How do I learn?

Indeed, people do have different ways of learning things. Just like the shepherd, I usually try to put things into practice. I usually dont let things go no matter how much they seem difficult. I usually try them out. My motive in life is to make a trial of what my instincts tell me. Just like Santiago tried out against the divided forces of his soul that were pulling his decisions apart, he decided to follow the hard way by paying the price to get what his destiny was gearing him to do. He agreed to pay a tenth of his inheritance from his father to get a clarification of what his dream wanted. Santiago added that his way isnt the same as mine, nor mine as his. But we are both in such of our personal legends showing that despite having known a different way of making a move in life, he decided to follow his style and ways.

I usually know that I am right to make my moves rather than following a given set of procedures in life that are just stipulated by the same imperfect people. Every man or woman has got his or her unique way of doing things. Despite the fact that the boy had followed the long method of finding his destiny that the Baker had failed to comply, he finally found the treasures that were hidden in his dreams (Coelho p. 93). I learn my way, and I dont take the time to think about why people despise my way of doing things. I usually do the opposite of what people expect of me. What do I mean? I only say that I go against what the majority expects of me.

Work Cited

Coelho, Paulo, Alan Clarke, and James N. Smith. The Alchemist. , 2014. Print.