Name: Cequeña, Mark Joshua C.

Section: BSA 1-2

NOVEL ANALYSIS

Title: The Alchemist

Author: Paulo Coelho

Background of the Author / Context of the Novel: Paulo Coelho was born in Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil, and attended a Jesuit school. At 17, Coelho's parents committed him to
a mental institution from which he escaped three times before being released at the age
of 20. Coelho was born into a Catholic family, and his parents were strict about the
religion and faith. Also, a lyricist and novelist, best known for his novel The Alchemist In
2014, he uploaded his personal papers online to create a virtual Paulo Coelho
Foundation.

(Research the author’s background and other works. This can give insight into the
author’s perspective or personal beliefs.)

Genre: Fantasy / Adventure Fiction

(What is the genre – what kind of literature? Is it comedy, mystery, tragedy, satire,
romance, etc.?)

Setting: Sahara Desert, Spanish Town of Tarifa, City of Tangier. The setting is crucial
because here mainly lies the stories that would unfold and if we’ve noticed, the story
also takes us to Spanish pastures which also gives us insight on how farming was back
then.

(Where does the story take place? Is the setting critical to the story?)
Time: The story is set in a indistinct time in the past, most likely pre modern before all of
our gadgets and technologies are invented, especially the story is made back in 1980s
so I would make sense that no such technologies are in the story unlike the present.

(When does the story take place? Is it timeless, or is it grounded in a particular place
and time? Is it important in the story?)

Theme: The danger about having fear, this theme emphasizes about our fears and in
my perception, we must face them with all of our courage like in our lives today, there
are uncertainties that we would face especially in college where subjects are hard.

(What are the themes of the story? What elements or ideas are repeated or
emphasized?)

Main Characters: Santiago – The main protagonist of the story. He is an shepherd who
is determined to accomplish his Personal Legend, which is to find the treasures at the
Egyptian pyramid.

(Who are the main characters? What are the names and attributes of the main
characters?)

Interaction: Most of the characters interacted with Santiago which is our main character.
They gave him advices and words of wisdom, also the characters taught him many
importance about life. However, most of them doesn’t have a deep relationship with
Santiago.

(What happens in the story? How do the characters interact? How are they related or
connected? Why do the characters act or behave the way they do?

Narrator: The narrator is an all-omniscient third person observer. The narrator knows
the thoughts and feelings of every character in the book.

(Who is the narrator, the person telling the story? Is the story written in the first person
“I” point of view, in a detached third person “he/she” point of view, or in an “all-knowing”
3rd person who can reveal what all the characters are thinking and doing at all times
and in all places?)
Plot Summary: Santiago has the dream every time he sleeps under a sycamore tree
that grows out of the ruins of a church. When dreaming, a child tells him to seek the
treasures at the Egyptian pyramids. Santiago consults a gypsy woman to interpret the
dream, and to his surprise she tells him to go to Egypt. That’s when his story truly
unfolds.

(What is the main sequence of events that make up the story?)

Organization: The story is mostly told chronologically but there are times that the
narrator would focus on some characters that interrupt the chronological order of the
story but still, it would return back to the main character to continue narrating.

(How is the story organized? Most commonly, stories are told chronologically, but in
some works, you may find that the author moves back and forth in time as well as
place.)

Writing Style: The author's writing style is very fast-paced, descriptive, and simplistic
too. The style of the novel is filled with pleasant sensory descriptions that make reading
an absolute joy. For example, we really see, taste, and smell the action when the Ghost
Wind arrives.

(What does the writing style tell you about the story? How does the writing style affect
the meaning?)

Conflict: It’s man vs himself. He thinks that would his journey is worth the trouble he
went into. He weighs into consideration what he already gained like the knowledge he
already gained vs the actual treasure he would possibly find.

(Conflict or tension is usually the heart of the novel and is related to the main character.
How would you describe the main conflict? Is it internal where the character suffers
inwardly? Is it external caused by the surroundings or environment the main character
finds himself/herself in, or caused by the people around him/her?)
Climax: It’s when Santiago turns himself into the wind while being captured by the rogue
tribesman in the Sahara Desert.

(What is the highest point of interest or emotion in the story?)

Resolution or Denouement: Santiago arrives at the pyramids but learned that he must
go back to Spain as his treasure was buried in the sycamore tree where he started his
adventure.

(What is the conclusion of the story’s plot after the climax?)

Explain why the title was chosen for the story: Because there’s an alchemist in the
story, and it’s also Santiago’s teacher that teaches him vastly regarding alchemy and
new different things.

Symbolisms: Gold – represents the knowledge, work, and time necessary to achieve
something desired.

Desert – The desert is symbolic of all the obstacles and hardships that stand between
people and their dreams. In the Alchemist, characters learn to accept the desert, even
listen to it.

(Are there objects or elements that represent much deeper concepts? Identify all
symbolisms in the novel and discuss their relevance to the story.)

Explain the ending of the novel: The ending is Santiago found the treasures where his
journey started, even though he travelled all the way to Egypt just to travel back home.

Explain the moral of the novel: The treasures of Santiago is already in his footstep but
he didn’t knew it immediately, which means that we must learn new wisdom and
different things or ideas before we get or accomplish what we wanted.