Diving into the Unknown: The Alchemist’s Twist on the Hero’s Journey

By Daria Husni When I first started reading the Alchemist, something felt familiar to me. It wasn’t until I was halfway through that I realized what it was; the Alchemist is very reminiscent of the epics of Greek mythology. As someone who devoured Greek mythology as a child, I recognized so many of the story

The Alchemist Annotated Bibliography

Embarking on the Quest Introduction Years ago, I received The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho as a gift from my thoughtful sister. She understood that reading had become an integral part of my identity, and that I loved nothing more than discovering the themes within a text. Sadly, the book remained on my shelf for years

What kind of Reader Was I Supposed to be?

As I read through “A Rhetoric of Reading,” by James Seitz, I found that I was asking myself a central question: was I being a submissive reader? Or was I rebelling against what Paulo Coelho was trying to relay to me as a reader through his novel, The Alchemist? I thought back to the plot,

The Symbols and Messages of Santiago’s Journey

By: Paige McTernan I first became aware of  The Alchemist when I found the title on a summer reading list during my senior year of high school. I had never experienced the book up until now, but what I have experienced in this story of Personal Legends is indeed a miraculous one. I had mostly

Santiago’s Hero’s Journey to his Personal Legend

By Scott MacLean Years ago, I received The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho as a gift from my thoughtful sister. She understood that reading had become an integral part of my identity, and that I loved nothing more than discovering themes within a text. The book remained on my shelf for years before I decided to