Symbols and Omens in the Alchemist

A symbol is something that represents something else, either by association or by resemblance. It can be a material object or a written sign used to represent something invisible. Paulo Coelhos Alchemist is infused with symbolism. It is a story of a boy named Santiago, a shepherd in Spain and who set up a journey to follow his dream. Just like the quest for Holy Grail he faced a lot of hardships on his way. But in the end he found his treasure. The alchemist is all knitted with omens and symbols. Omens play a key role in unraveling of Santiagos fate. He had a dream that a child transport him to the Egyptian pyramids and tells him that he will find a buried treasure there. So in his quest omens helps him to determine the right path. As stated in the novel In order to find the treasure you have to follow the omens, God has prepared a path for everyone to follow. You just have to read the omens that he left for you. Everything in life is an omen and being able to recognize them is the key motif of the novel. When Santiago had the dream he went to a gypsy woman to know its interpretation and afterwards a mysterious king named the king of Salem in Tarifa convinces Santiago that he has succeeded in discovering his Personal Legend. The old king tells Santiago that following his Personal Legend to its conclusion is a persons only real obligation in life. The Personal Legend is a being's reason to live. Everything in the world has a Personal Legend, and by reaching one's Personal Legend, they add to the Soul of the World, the purity of the world. The boy's Personal Legend is obvious, to find his treasure at the Egyptian pyramids. He also gave him two stones and asked him to follow his dream. Symbolically he was a sort of a divine help for the boy. And his image reoccurred in the novel when ever he needs help. On his way to Tangier he was robbed and left hopeless, at that very instant the two stones Urim and Thumim which symbolizes will power fell out of his pocket and showed him the right path. These stones acted as an omen and made him pursue his destiny. Afterwards Santiago went to the crystal merchant shop. His presence at the shop acted as an omen of Good luck for the crystal merchant. As he was cleaning the crystals two customers came into the shop as stated in the novel I would like you to work in my shop. Two customers came in today while you were working, and that is a good omen Santiago worked in his shop in order to secure enough money to buy sheep and go back but to his land. Later when Santiago secured enough money the stones acted again as an omen and made him recognize his personal legend. As stated in the novel because of those two stones he was once again on the way to his treasure unlike the crystal merchant who never followed his dream and became a symbol of loss of dream and regret that follows. So he started his journey towards the pyramids across Sahara desert in a Caravan, as he rides the long, slow days away he begins to listen to his heart and to the desert. He begins to understand what the Soul of the World is, and how he fits in. The caravan was guided by a leader who guides and leads the Caravan. Every one in the Caravan despite of heterogeneous identities adheres to the Caravans leader. There he also met an English man who was in search of an Alchemist and was a symbol of scientific and bookish knowledge in contrast to himself because he believes in first hand knowledge which can be acquired through his own encounter with the

nature. When the caravan makes it to the oasis, Santiago meets a girl he falls in love with the moment he sees her hence here the old and wise desert acted as a good omen as it enabled him to meet his love. In the oasis he also read the flight of two hawks as an omen of an upcoming attack as stated in the novel suddenly one of the hawks made a flashing dive through the sky, attacking the other as it did so, a sudden fleeting image came to the boy: an army with its swords at the ready riding into oasis his prediction saved a lot may lives and he was made the counselor and hence the oasis became a symbol of materialistic settlement but he preferred to follow his dream. Afterwards he met the local alchemist who was a symbol of wisdom, a man of knowledge who understands the soul of the world. He instructed Santiago to continue his journey and pay heed to omens .he presented the boy with a challenge to go and find life in the desert from the hint given by Alchemist that life attracts life .he loose the reins of the horse and the horse leads him to a cobra snake .the Alchemsit tells him that this was the omen he needed and he will lead him across desert. Hence this mysterious man who reminds Santiago of the old king, helps Santiago continue his journey across the desert and teaches him more important life lessons along the way. He was in possession of elixir of life and philosopher stone. The two alchemy objects are physical representations of the Soul of the World, the Master Work, which is the result of completely purifying metals. The Philosopher's Stone, being completely pure and powerful as the Soul of the World, has the property of turning metals into gold, the most advanced ("evolved") and purest of all metals. The Elixir of Life cures all illnesses and gives immortality. These objects represent the purity in the world, and in people trying to reach their Personal Legend. At the very end of the novel the leader of the refugees of tribal war also acted as an omen. The leader robbed the boy of his possessions and told him about his own dream of a hidden treasure which was buried in some ruined church under a sycamore tree in Spain and his dream was an omen for Santiago because it made him realize where his treasure was. Hence these are the omens which made Santiago find his treasure which is symbolic of wisdom. Just like an Alchemist who transforms baser metals into gold and precious metals ,Santiago from an ordinary shepherd was transformed into a wise man through a journey full of hardships and sacrifices but at the end he achieved his personal legend.