The Freedom of Travelling and The Alchemist explores the journey of Santiago, the protagonist from Paulo Coelho's novel, who seeks to fulfill his dreams through travel. This analysis delves into themes of personal freedom, the quest for happiness, and the significance of listening to one's heart. Santiago's adventures highlight the connection between desire and destiny, emphasizing that true fulfillment lies within oneself. The work is ideal for readers interested in philosophical reflections on life, happiness, and the pursuit of one's Personal Legend. Coelho's narrative encourages readers to embrace their dreams and the unknown paths of life.

Key Points

  • Analyzes Santiago's journey in The Alchemist and his quest for personal freedom.
  • Explores themes of happiness and self-discovery through travel and adventure.
  • Discusses the significance of listening to one's heart in pursuing dreams.
  • Examines the concept of Personal Legend as a guiding principle in life.
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International Journal of Engineering Applied Sciences and Technology, 2021
Vol. 6, Issue 4, ISSN No. 2455-2143, Pages 54-58
Published Online August 2021 in IJEAST (http://www.ijeast.com)
54
THE FREEDOM OF TRAVELLING AND
THE ALCHEMIST: HAPPINESS IS WITHIN
US
Prakash Thapa,
PhD Scholar, Creative Writing
Executive Director, Ridgewater School
Abstract - The protagonist of The Alchemist
Santiago longs to travel to fulfill his dreams and
likes to be liberated from his status quo of life in
essence. He thinks that one can discover the new
dimension of life by travelling into the faraway
land; this also shows the archetype of nomadic
instinct of human beings, for they have always
travelled from one place to another in search of
prosperity and fulfillment. He desires something
new so that he can come out of the conventional
pattern of life in general. For him travelling to the
unknown brings freedom, wealth and
emancipation in life. So he chooses to travel and
keeps dreaming.
Keywords: travel, freedom, dreams, liberation,
desires for unknown
I. INTRODUCTION
The Alchemist is a novel of passionate
traveller Santiago, who dreams to travel to the
faraway places so as to fulfill his needs and find
contentment in life. He has deep desire for moving
into the unknown, he seems to be discontent to his
surroundings and circumstances. So he likes to
follow the soul of the universe, the omen of god. He
dreams that he has reached the pyramid and finds the
hidden treasure. So he meets the women who can
interpret his dream. And the woman says, "And
dreams are the languages of God. When he speaks in
our language, I can interpret what he has said. But if
he speaks in the language of the soul, it is only you
who can understand …"(12).
Furthermore, if one desires to achieve his
realms, the universe conspires in helping him to
fulfill his dreams from every possible dimension. ...It
prepares his spirit and his will because there is great
truth on this planet: whoever he is, or whatever it is
that he does, when he really wants something, it's
because that desire originated in the soul of the
universe. It's his mission on earth" (21).
Santiago dreams for the unknown, for it has
infinite possibilities of movements, prosperities and
fulfillments and is guided by the cosmic thought
gravity. So he tries to listen to his heart rather than
listening to the mind which is rational and creates
fear in life.
The Exposures of a Nomad (n.d.) states that
The Alchemist is an exciting novel that bursts with
optimism; it is the kind of novel that tells you that
everything is possible as long as you really want it to
happen. That may sound like an oversimplified
version of new-age philosophy and mysticism, but as
Coelho states "simple things are the most valuable
and only wise people appreciate them."
Likewise, it also quotes the Dalai Lama and
reveals about how things are predetermined and that
they are manifested in human lives. It also says that
we are in a time when there are numbers of windows
in a house but nothing in the room. It is to this society
that Coelho reminds of dreams, of destiny,
of courage, of joy, of love, of harmony with the
self and of adventure.
Also The Alchemist Analysis (1993) states
that for The Alchemist, Coelho adapts four principles
from the tale: the personal quest, the awareness of
omens, the soul of the world, and the idea of listening
to ones heart as a guide. The novel also mentions One
Thousand and One Nights when Santiago and the
Englishman see many wells, colored tents, and trees
in the oasis. The Englishman acknowledges that the
view looks like a scene from the classic story.
Moreover, Santiago seems to be wandering
in his dreams as if he is a Narcissist, for he is
searching his own image in particular. Simon de
Beauvoir (1997) states that love and life can be
integrated with life and so Santiago is revolving
International Journal of Engineering Applied Sciences and Technology, 2021
Vol. 6, Issue 4, ISSN No. 2455-2143, Pages 54-58
Published Online August 2021 in IJEAST (http://www.ijeast.com)
55
within his own inner journey. So Beauvoir in The
Second Sex asserts the similar thought pattern in the
psyche of an individual which turns out to be the
recurring patterns of inner realities in particular.
Santiago is in the existential quest of his own journey
of wilderness – the journey of his own choices.
II. OBJECTIVES
The objective of this research work is to
state that man can find his happiness within; it cannot
therefore be searched outside. The material world can
give pleasure and sensation momentarily because
everything is impermanent Rinpoche (1994). For
instance, Santiago, the protagonist of The Alchemist
travels towards Egyptian pyramid in search of
treasure and contentment but fails in his mission.
However, he finds his happiness upon returning his
own home, the Andalusian terrain. It is as if: two
thousand five hundred years ago the Buddha
delivered a remarkable set of teachings. He taught
that instead of relying on a god or on materialistic
pursuits, one can attain true, permanent happiness by
simply examining and working with one's mind
(Rinpoche 14).
III. REVIEW OF LITERATURE
According to The Alchemist Literary
Criticism (n.d.), a dream under a sycamore tree
begins an adventure for the young shepherd,
Santiago. The dream reveals a treasure waiting to be
discovered, but the treasure appears to be in Egypt at
the base of a pyramid, and Santiago is living in the
Spanish town of Tarifa. What appears, at first, to be a
quest for treasure, soon becomes a tale of discovery.
Santiago discovers the value of achieving his
Personal Legend, the importance of unity and
connectedness within nature, and the hope that comes
when oneness is reached.
Likewise The Alchemist Literary Criticism
further mentions that Paulo Coelho, the author of The
Alchemist, introduces the concept of a Personal
Legend, and the pursuit and completion of a Personal
Legend is the golden thread woven into the engaging
storyline. We discover within the story that Personal
Legend is the key to living a successful and satisfying
life as perfection comes from achieving your
Personal Legend.
Santiago eventually realizes this truth after
first avoiding the distraction of personal wealth
gained through working with a crystal merchant, and
the distraction of love found in the unexpected
encounter with the beautiful Fatima. While on this
journey, he receives assistance from a travelling
alchemist, who is an Englishman. While travelling
across the Sahara, this Englishman helps Santiago
better understand his quest for Personal Legend. In
the concluding section of the book, it is revealed to
the reader that we are just as important as the actual
treasure which Santiago finds upon returning to his
Spanish town.
Similarly Kirkus (n.d.) states that the story is
about a youth empowered to follow his dream.
Santiago is an Andalusian shepherd boy who learns
through a dream of a treasure in the Egyptian
pyramids. An old man, the king of Salem, the first of
various spiritual guides, tells the boy that he has
discovered his destiny: to realize one's destiny is a
person's only real obligation. So Santiago sells his
sheep, sails to Tangier, is tricked out of his money,
regains it through hard work, crosses the desert with
a caravan, stops at an oasis long enough to fall in
love, escapes from warring tribesmen by performing
a miracle, reaches the pyramids, and eventually gets
both the gold and the girl.
Along the way he meets an Englishman who
describes the Soul of the World; the desert woman
Fatima, who teaches him the Language of the World;
and an alchemist who says, "Listen to your heart." A
message clings like ivy to every encounter; everyone,
but everyone, has to put in their two cents' worth,
from the crystal merchant to the camel driver
('concentrate always on the present; you'll be a happy
man').
Dream, Desire and Travel to the Unknown
It is obvious that Santiago longs to travel to
the faraway land to satisfy his desire of fulfilling his
heart. Dream, desire and travel are the metaphors of
his passionate soul which make him move toward the
unknown. He therefore listens to his heart's voice
considering that it is indeed the god's own voice
which reminds him of his very destiny. So he is tuned
to his heart irrespective of his mind's rational
disposition. So he always thinks of travelling to
Egypt, the unknown land of his dream, so as to find
treasure and happiness.
Prakash Thapa (2006) also states that
travelling to the unknown gives liberation:
You know silence speaks more
than words, and this is in a sense, a
International Journal of Engineering Applied Sciences and Technology, 2021
Vol. 6, Issue 4, ISSN No. 2455-2143, Pages 54-58
Published Online August 2021 in IJEAST (http://www.ijeast.com)
56
way toward freedom: freedom of
an individual passion. When I think
of walking amidst the mountains, I
find a sense of freedom. The
moment is beautiful and I start
thinking of life: how can I
understand life in its entirety, and
yet I find, in the mountain trails, an
eternal silence, for silence signifies
an eternal bliss. That people in
most instances come to enjoy the
wilderness of the mountains, and
free themselves, bringing liberation
into their soul: the liberation of the
self (19).
And moreover everything on earth is being
continuously transformed, because the earth is
alive… and it has a soul. We are part of that soul, so
we rarely recognize that it is working for us. But in
the crystal shop you probably realized that even the
glasses were collaborating in your success (75).
The similar thought structure of the inner
search is also predominant in Poems of Kabir.
Tagore (2002) states that a man is at his home when
he is in tune with his inner self. This highlights the
integration of the self with the very thoughts of
freedom in essence (35). Likewise, Khenchen
Thrangu Rinpoche (1994) also states that a man can
find eternal peace and the realm of silence when he is
"placing the mind" in accordance with his own
compassionate thoughts in essence. Rinpoche further
calls it a state of relaxation which is how one enters
meditation (17).
We can also find the sense of freedom of the
mind in J. Krishnamurti (2005) as well, for he says
that thought creates the thinker who isolates himself
to give himself permanency, for thoughts are always
impermanent (60).
Maktub: an Arabic Predeterminism
So far The Alchemist tries to state the theory
of Arabic concept of pre-determinism, for it
advocates that everything in the universe is already
determined, so that everybody has to undergo the fate
according to his predetermined destiny. So The
Alchemist's assertion is to some extent pessimistic in
its undertone if we compare its advocacy in terms of
quantum physics and other sciences.
Contrarily, it is quite clear that the world is
not only governed by deterministic thinking but it is
also largely governed by the laws of science as well.
This theory of determinism is similar to that of the
eastern concepts of fate and undying soul, so that
man is compelled to believe his destiny rather than
the changing theories of science and humanism.
So concerning fate, Cram (n.d.) mentions
that "some things are destined to be," a quote from
the book Lover Mine by J.R. Ward, and this means
that sometimes fate controls our lives and we have no
choice in changing our destiny, as some things are
made to be, whether we like it or not. In the novel
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, the protagonist
Santiago is pushed by fate out of his comfort zone, to
embark on his journey and fulfill his personal legend
and experience the marvels of the world (32). His
destiny is always controlled by fate, as all his
decisions are influenced by fate in one way or
another. Fate is the one thing that forces you into
uncomfortable situations and brings about the
potential within one's self.
Likewise The Alchemist clearly states that
Santiago is learning the Language of the World, and
everything in the world is beginning to make sense to
him even the flight of the hawks. Furthermore, it
states that things make more sense when one is in
love in essence.
Cosmic Soul and Its Impact
Regarding the subject of cosmic soul and its
impact The Alchemist straightforwardly puts forward
its views of Universal Soul that makes impression on
all beings. According to Gradesaver (n.d.), one of the
fundamental themes of The Alchemist is that our
paths are pre-ordained or maktub, in the words of the
shopkeeper. The goal of life is to live in harmony
with what is ordained for one, or one's Personal
Legend; happiness depends upon this harmony.
Moreover, we all once knew, as children,
what our Personal Legends were. The main problem
is that as humans and adults, we strive to make things
more complex than they really are. In the text of The
Alchemist, this problem is mirrored by the experience
Santiago has with alchemy.
Likewise while travelling through the desert
with the Englishman, Santiago reads several books
about the secrets of alchemy. The books claim that
the original secret of alchemy could be written in a
single sentence, but that mankind had made its
explanations of that secret so convoluted that they
could not be understood by anyone. Santiago rejects
this and contends that he can learn everything he
needs to know about alchemy through his day-to-day
life. This conviction, that one's fate, or Personal
Legend, is apparent in any aspect of one's normal life
forms one of the most important themes of The
Alchemist.
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FAQs

What is the main theme of The Alchemist?
The main theme of The Alchemist revolves around the pursuit of one's Personal Legend, which represents an individual's true purpose in life. Santiago's journey illustrates how following one's dreams can lead to self-discovery and fulfillment. The narrative emphasizes that the universe conspires to help those who are committed to realizing their dreams, reinforcing the idea that happiness is found within oneself. Additionally, the story explores the interconnectedness of all beings and the importance of listening to one's heart.
How does Santiago's journey reflect the concept of freedom?
Santiago's journey in The Alchemist symbolizes the quest for freedom, both physically and spiritually. As he travels from Spain to Egypt, he seeks not only material treasure but also the liberation of his soul. The novel illustrates that true freedom comes from within, as Santiago learns to overcome fears and societal expectations. His adventures teach him that embracing the unknown and following one's heart leads to personal emancipation and a deeper understanding of life.
What role do omens play in Santiago's journey?
Omens serve as significant guides in Santiago's journey throughout The Alchemist. They are interpreted as messages from the universe that help him navigate his path toward fulfilling his Personal Legend. Santiago learns to recognize and trust these signs, which ultimately lead him to make crucial decisions. The concept of omens underscores the idea that the universe communicates with individuals, encouraging them to pursue their dreams and stay aligned with their true purpose.
How does The Alchemist address the idea of destiny?
The Alchemist addresses the idea of destiny through the concept of 'Maktub,' which translates to 'it is written.' This notion suggests that individuals have a predetermined path that they must follow to achieve their Personal Legend. Throughout the story, Santiago encounters various characters who reinforce this belief, illustrating that while one can make choices, there is an overarching destiny guiding their journey. This theme invites readers to reflect on the balance between free will and fate in their own lives.
What lessons does Santiago learn about love in The Alchemist?
In The Alchemist, Santiago learns that love is a powerful force that can inspire and motivate individuals to pursue their dreams. His relationship with Fatima teaches him that true love does not hinder one's journey but rather supports it. Santiago discovers that love is about understanding and respecting each other's paths, and that a genuine connection can enhance personal growth. This realization emphasizes that love should be a source of strength rather than a distraction from one's goals.
What is the significance of the treasure Santiago seeks?
The treasure Santiago seeks in The Alchemist symbolizes not just material wealth but the fulfillment of his dreams and self-discovery. Initially, he believes the treasure is located at the Egyptian pyramids, but as his journey unfolds, he realizes that the true treasure lies in the experiences, lessons, and personal growth he gains along the way. This shift in perspective highlights the novel's central message that the journey itself is as valuable as the destination, and that happiness comes from within.
How does the setting influence Santiago's journey in The Alchemist?
The setting in The Alchemist plays a crucial role in shaping Santiago's journey and experiences. From the pastoral landscapes of Andalusia to the vast deserts of Egypt, each location represents different stages of his personal growth. The challenges he faces in these diverse environments teach him resilience and adaptability. The contrasting settings also reflect the theme of exploration, both of the outer world and of his inner self, emphasizing that travel is essential for self-discovery.

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