Characteristics and Destiny
“It is true that everything has its Personal Legend, but one day that Personal Legend will be realized.” (Coello 150) The “The Alchemist” is a story about a shepherd boy called “Santiago”. During the course of the book, he takes several trials that challenge him to achieve his destiny. He also gets guidance from several characters during the course of the story. With courage, spirituality, and intelligence, Santiago manages to achieve his destiny.
While seeking his destiny, Santiago proves that he is courageous several times. Although Santiago becomes more daring and fearless as the story advances, he already has that quality at the beginning of the book, as shown at this conversation:
“’The people who come here have a lot of money to spend, so they could afford to travel… Amongst us, the only ones who travel are shepherds,” (says Santiago’s father).
‘Then I will become a shepherd!’ (Responds Santiago).” (9)
Santiago also manages to give up all his sheep, when The King of Salem (Melchizedek) told Santiago his destiny. Abandoning everything a person has isn’t something that is easy to do, especially when a person is chasing a dream he isn’t even sure what it is. Santiago also risks his life on the omen of the two falcons, and tells the chiefs of Al-Fayoum, that there is going to be a raided by one of the tribes who are fighting. The chiefs say that, if there is no raid, they will shoot Santiago. However, Santiago holds firm from the threat, and not run away. Santiago also doesn’t run away when he has to learn to turn himself into wind in a week (which seemed impossible to Santiago at the time) From these events, it is clear that Santiago needed courage to face several threats, but he also needed to rely on his spirituality.
As he pursues his destiny, Santiago proves himself to be a very spiritual person throughout the book. He believes in the soul of the world, and he talks to several representatives of the Soul of World, such as the desert, the wind, and the sun.
“Then, whom should I ask?” (Says Santiago)”
“Speak to the hand that wrote all,” (Says the Sun)” (144)
Ultimately, Santiago moves beyond the representatives of the Soul of World, and speak with it directly. The Soul of the World is God. Santiago is able to communicate with God, by love, and aid from the representatives of the soul of the world.
He proves to be a spiritual person throughout the book. He believes that all things are one. Santiago learns there is only one destiny written for him, and that God wrote it. Spirituality helps Santiago on his journey, but he is also aided by his intelligence.
Santiago, although he is not a knowledgeable person in the beginning, he is certainly intelligent. Unlike his job as a shepherd, he is literate. He can speak Latin. You can infer that the background time of this story is at the renaissance as the oasis used both guns and swords:
“They withdrew their scimitars and rifles” (p107)
Santiago is able to do several tasks with very little guidance from the alchemist. For example, he was able to realize what to do to turn himself into the wind (eventually). Santiago is able to quickly grasp concepts that he has never heard of. After this happens, even the alchemist acknowledges him as the perfect disciple:
“The alchemist, because he found his perfect disciple…” (146)
What the alchemist was talking as “the perfect disciple”, wasn’t a person who knew a lot of things, like the Englishman, but a person who is capable of becoming the alchemist’s disciple. Being intelligent and wise was something that was crucial in the factors for “the perfect disciple”
These three characteristics were critical to Santiago’s characters. Santiago develops these traits on his journey. Before the book, Santiago, although not as great as these characteristics are at the end of the story, they were developed for that one day in Santiago’s destiny would be realized. Because of this, characteristics and destiny are closely branded together.
HOW AM I A PARTICIPANT OF MY DESTINY
"I never worry about action, but only inaction."
Winston Churchill
A participant of a destiny, is a person who is already taking the most important path in his life: which is destiny.
Although I am not walking in the road of my very own destiny yet, but hopefully, I am in the process of getting ready for it. In the book "The Alchemist", Santiago wasn't in the path of his destiny, but he was getting ready for it, by learning how to abandon his steady life, and becoming a shepherd. I hope that I am taking steps for the destiny that is in front of me, like Santiago.
The Character trait that I have that would help me as a participant of my destiny is probably courage. Without courage, many of the things I was able to achieve wouldn't have been achievable in the first place.
Without courage, I wouldn't have been able to move to this school, and I wouldn't dare to be different. Because I have the courage to do what I should do, I do not worry about doing action on what I did, but I worry about things I didn't do to go forward on the journey of my destiny.
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