The Alchemist: Plot

The Alchemist: Plot

By: Paulo Coelho

Crystal Merchant

Santiago buys a ticket to Tangier, in North Africa and sails for two hours to get there. When he arrives, a port thief steals all his money. Santiago must then find work, to earn enough money to return home. He finds employment in the shop of a crystal merchant. He suggests many ideas, like selling tea in the crystal, that greatly financially benefit the shop. The Crystal Merchant tells Santiago about his own Personal Legend, "I'm afraid if my dream is realized, I'll have no reason to go on living." (page 55)

Sycamore Tree

Santiago goes back to Andalusia and returns to the church. He digs under the place he slept when he dreamed of the pyramids and the treasure. Beneath that simple sycamore tree, lay the treasure of Santiago. In this moment Santiago realizes, "Life is really generous to those who pursue their Personal Legend." (page 166)

King Melchizedek

The Caravan

Into Santiago's journey to go see the merchant's daughter, he meets a man claiming to be a king. This man teaches Santiago what a Personal Legend is, he explains, "It's what you have always wanted to accomplish." (page 21). King Salem gives him two stones called Urim and Thummim for reading omens. Then, King Melchizedek makes Santiago give him a tenth of his sheep, and to sell the rest so that he has enough money to travel to Egypt. He wants Santiago to follow his Personal Legend.

Santiago works eleven months in the crystal shop at the top of the hill in Tangier. He then becomes unsure if he should continue searching for his Personal Legend. He decides to keep on searching and finds himself to join a caravan traveling to Egypt. On this caravan he meets and englishman who wants to learn the secret of alchemy from an alchemist in an oasis. This man also has a set of Urim and Thummim and they befriend one another. During the travel across the desert they come to an Oasis where Santiago falls in love with a girl named Fatima, she urges him to continue to look for his Personal Legend. From this Santiago leaves the oasis along side the alchemist to find his Personal Legend.

Warriors

Both Santiago and the alchemist enter an area full of tribal warfare and are captured by warriors.

When Santiago arrives at the Pyramids, he digs but finds nothing. Thieves beat Santiago and steal his money. Santiago tells them about his dream anyway and one of the thieves says his own dream. It is about a treasure, buried in an abandoned church.

They are allowed to continue their journey after a short amount of time. Not long after, the alchemist tells Santiago he will be returning to the oasis but to continue searching for his personal journey.

Andalusian Shepherd

The story of the Alchemist follows the story on Santiago. When he is troubled by a recurring dream, he finds himself with a gypsy woman. The gypsy tells Santiago that his dream means that there is treasure in Egypt. She asks for one tenth of his treasure in return for telling Santiago what his dream meant.

By: Gideon and Nicole

Gypsy Carriage