Lessons in The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

In Paulo Coelho's book The Alchemist, Santiago learned many lessons. One of his first lessons came when talking to the old man, who told him, "when you really want something, it's because that desire originated in the soul of the universe. It's your mission on earth...[and] all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it" (Coelho 22, 23). Santiago mastered this lesson by questing for the treasure and finding that key people come into his path just when he needs their wisdom, and circumstances change to benefit him.

A second lesson is that when people are young, "everything is possible" and they know what their Personal Legend is, but as time passes they become convinced that they will not be able to realize it (Coelho 22). Santiago recognizes this truth and masters it by meeting the cha

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Category: Literature - L