The primary way that the Alchemist helps Santiago is that he teaches the boy the importance of believing in himself. On their numerous excursions into the desert, the Alchemist shows Santiago that all people are capable of connecting with the Soul of the World as long as they listen to the omens that occur around them.

The Alchemist tells Santiago to find life in the desert. He is testing the boy to use his heart and, “Only those who can see such signs of life are able to find treasure.

Santiago Shepherd boy, the protagonist of The Alchemist. He travels from Andalusia in southern Spain to the Egyptian pyramids in search of hidden treasure, learning life lessons along the way. Santiago is a dreamer and a seeker, and he stands for the dreamer and seeker in all of us.

How is Santiago’s money stolen in Tangiers? He gives his money to his new “friend” he met in a bar/tavern, and then he gets distracted by a beautiful sword, and then his new “friend” is nowhere to be seen.

The Alchemist In desperate need of money, Santiago is hired by a crystal merchant, who tells him that even a year’s wages would not pay his way to Egypt, which is thousands of kilometers distant. The crystal merchant offers to give Santiago enough money to return to Andalusia.

The camel driver is trying to give the life lesson to Santiago that he needs to live in the present and be in the moment rather that worrying about the past or the future.

But when he thought to complain about the burden of its weight, he remembered that, because he had the jacket, he had withstood the cold of the dawn… We have to be prepared for change, he thought, and he was grateful for the jacket’s weight and warmth… The jacket had a purpose.”

The jacket is considered a symbol for the hero’s journey. The jacket is considered a blessing because it keeps Santiago warm at night. It is considered a curse because of the burden of the weight when he has to carry it around all day. The jacket may symbolize the experiences that someone may have in life.

The crystal merchant resists these changes, because he is content with his small business, just as he fears realizing his dream of traveling to Mecca, because he worries that he won’t have anything to live for if his dream is realized.

According to the camel driver, a seer told him that God only reveals the future if God wrote that future to be altered. If the seer is correct, then the future can, in fact, be changed.

Hindu mythology includes many wise and holy men called seers or sages. They possess great spiritual power as a result of living pure and simple lives. A few seers are considered demigods, born from the thoughts of the god Brahma*.

42. Santiago leaves the chieftain and encounters a powerful, intimidating stranger on horseback, who terrifies him at swordpoint. The stranger turns out to be The Alchemist, who demands to know who is reading the omens in the hawk’s flight.

Here while he was in the dessert, Santiago, seeing the hawks fighting has a vision, a glimpse that armies will ride through the oasis.

1 of 5 What two animals does Santiago see fighting before his vision?

• Camels.
• Hawks.
• Horses.
• Sheep.

The constant theme in The Alchemist is to pursue your dreams by following what your heart desires. During the young boy’s journey, he learns to listen to the heart and to follow the language of omens. Each lesson teaches the young boy that he must always follow his heart, as it is the language of God.