Themes in the Alchemist

The podcast hosts discuss the themes of Paulo Coelho's novel, The Alchemist, and their implications in the real world. They highlight Santiago's journey and how it teaches the importance of separating the journey from the destination. They also explore the theme of loss and how it can fuel perseverance and growth. The hosts discuss the religious undertones in the novel and how faith can inspire and motivate people. They recommend reading The Alchemist for its lessons on self-discovery, growth, and finding meaning in uncertain times. The hosts conclude the podcast by expressing their enjoyment of the book and its valuable lessons. Hi! Welcome to our podcast. My name is Olivia. And my name is Simone. Today we're going to be discussing some of the themes in Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist and the implications of both themes in the real world. Paulo was raised in Rio de Janeiro. He rebelled against his parents' Roman Catholic upbringing. As a result, they sent him to a mental hospital. Later on in his life, he dropped out of law school and decided to travel the world. He went to places like South America, Mexico, North Africa, and Europe. In 1988, Paulo published The Alchemist. One huge part of The Alchemist is Santiago's journey. He doesn't really know what he's trying to find, but he feels compelled to reach his personal legend. I think that his journey was so successful because he separated his journey from his destination. Santiago learned a lot along the way, and I would argue that his journey was a lot more impactful than the treasure at the end of it. But why should we care? I think a lot of the time in life we don't really know what goal we're working towards, but we feel obligated to complete it regardless of that. Everyone's life continues on no matter what you do, and The Alchemist shows us how to find meaning and value in everyday experiences. The book may end, but the message in it lives on in our lives. Have you ever experienced a huge challenge or journey in life similar to Santiago's? Yeah, so the first thing I think of when I think about his journey is my journey into college. There's a lot of uncertainty, and sometimes it's hard to find the motivation to keep going, but I know it'll all pay off. That's a really good point. With entering college, there's a lot of risk we're going to have to take, but it's all part of the process. Another theme that I noticed in his novel is loss. This one isn't as positive as the journey, but it can end up impacting people in a positive way. Santiago loses a lot. He loses his sheep, his money, and his home. Despite all that loss and failure, though, he continues on. Loss fuels perseverance and motivation. Santiago is a huge example of that. Again, though, why should we care about his story? Like you said, I feel like loss is a big part of moving forward in life, and seeing Santiago use loss as his motivation is inspiring to the reader in their own lives. People experience loss every day, but it's a conscious decision to dwell on it and be sad, or to grow and continue on. The novel teaches us that it's okay to experience setbacks in life, and that those setbacks are how we grow into better people. I also think that having the courage to accept a big loss in life, such as losing a loved one, is a huge sign of maturity. Watching Santiago cope with different forms of loss throughout the novel really shows his expanding maturity. Now let's hear a word from our sponsors. Are you hungry but don't want to stop listening to this amazing podcast? Try DoorDash. With DoorDash, you can get food delivered anytime, anywhere. Isn't DoorDash just for gross fast food, though? No. With DoorDash, you can order from a fancy restaurant, snacks from a gas station, and so much more. What about all those extra annoying fees, though? I'm sure it is expensive to pay a delivery driver. Wouldn't it be super expensive? Well, if you download our app right now, you are eligible to receive free delivery on your first order. That sounds awesome. I'm going to download it right now. Back to the show. Now, let's get back to the show. Another very important theme in The Alchemist is the religious undertone. The novel incorporates magical realism, which Santiago uses to help him reach his personal legend. Another example in the novel, I think, is how a crystal merchant uses his desire to one day visit Mecca. He says that he never truly wants to go because he feels like once he completes the trip, he'll have no other inspirations to continue on in his life. Both of the characters find something that they value and use that to propel them in their life. Regardless of the religion they practice, it's definitely a big motivator for people to keep moving on in their lives. That's a really good point, but I think that that can expand into more than just religion. Finding little motivators in my life always keeps me going. Whether that's growing in friendships or a holiday that I'm looking forward to celebrating, small pieces of life that give it value really keep me going. And by reading The Alchemist, we are really able to see Santiago uses faith as an inspiration to continue on in his journey. Religion opens the door to inward discovery and asks important questions in life. Overall, people having things to keep them inspired in life is really important. Yeah, hope is a super important thing in times of uncertainty, and I think The Alchemist really provides reassurance during those times. So, Simone, why should our listeners want to read The Alchemist? I think that this book is really appealing to teens and young adults because young adulthood is really an unpredictable time, and it's full of self-discovery and growth. Santiago's story is a great example of how real people experience setbacks and problems and still During the transition period of entering into the real world, it's easy to get hung up on little things, and I think The Alchemist helps the reader learn how to avoid that. The book provides some sort of comfort in people's lives during all the uncertainty. The Alchemist also gives young people a sense of belonging, as many real-world struggles are mirrored by Santiago's struggles. The Alchemist has so much thought and meaning put into it, and I think it sends an amazing message. Overall, The Alchemist provides an escape from one's own problems and allows the reader to recognize their own struggles through those of Santiago. I'm here. I'm here with your DoorDash. Hey, wait! DoorDash boy! Have you ever read The Alchemist? Yeah, I've read The Alchemist, and I think it's a great book. It has a great lesson about personal legends and maturing in life. It incorporates magical realism in such a unique way, and I would rate it a 9 out of 10. Yeah, I'd agree. I think it was actually a really good book. I went into it without high hopes because I wasn't really expecting it to be super interesting, but it kind of hooked me right away. I really enjoyed watching Santiago grow as a person, and I think that it's really cool to see all of the challenges that he went through and how he still came out on top. Yeah, for me, I wasn't very hooked in the beginning, but following his journey helped me learn valuable lessons, and I thought I should enjoy the book a lot. I think that everyone should read this book at least once in their lifetime so they can learn the lessons too. It was a pleasure making this podcast. Thank you guys so much for listening. Bye!