Abstract
In the view of this writer, Paulo Coehlo's, "The Alchemist", is a story founded upon Christian (and Islamic) values prizing humanity, beneficence and charity. For one thing, the people who help Santiago achieve his destiny - the Old Palm Reader or Gypsy, the Old King, and The alchemist, to name but three individuals - give him invaluable advice and insight while (with the exception of the Gypsy) asking nothing for themselves. Furthermore, the paper discusses how the Old King in the book is clearly inspired by Coehlo's reading of the Bible and it may be said that, just as the Tree of Life in Genesis gives eternal life, so too does the Elixir of Life carried about by the Alchemist give those who imbibe it the capacity to never fall ill; it is also true that the alchemist is one speck of life that wanders a desert filled with death and desolation. In any case, the paper shows how what all of these individuals have in common is that they help Santiago find the full life that awaits one when he or she finds his Personal Legend - as opposed to the half-death that follows those who shy away from the pursuit of their dreams.

From the Paper
"In the view of this writer, Paulo Coehlo's, "The Alchemist", is a story founded upon Christian (and Islamic) values prizing humanity, beneficence and charity. For one thing, the people who help Santiago achieve his destiny - the Old Palm Reader or Gypsy, the Old King, and The alchemist, to name but three individuals - give him invaluable advice and insight while (with the exception of the Gypsy) asking nothing for themselves. Furthermore, the Old King in the book is clearly inspired by Coehlo's reading of the Bible (he is really a biblical character that first appears...)"

Tags:alchemist, charity, realization

Abstract
The paper reviews Paul Coelho's "The Alchemist", discussing two reviews of the novel and the author's opinion.

From the Paper
"Magical realism is a form of literature described by Stephen M. Hart as evolving within Latin American cultures, focused in part on the attempt to understand the reality of one's existence within a world that is chaotic and from which one can be disconnected. Paul Coelho's "The Alchemist" fits within this genre and features a travelling shepherd boy who tells the Alchemist he encounters that "My Heart Is Afraid" that it will have to suffer, the boy told..."

Tags:The Alchemist, Paul Coelho

Abstract
This paper describes five lessons that Santiago learned in Paulo Coelho's book "The Alchemist".

From the Paper
"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) Santiago mastered this lesson by questing for the treasure and finding that key people come into his path just when he needs their wisdom..."

Tags:The Alchemist, Santiago, Paulo Coelho

Abstract
In this article, the writer notes that duality in literature and drama is a common theme suggesting various relationships between people, attributes, character traits, and also suggesting the larger dictum that things are not always what they seem. The writer discusses that the 'Alchemist' is a comedy written in verse and that two of the central themes in this play are inherently shaped around ideas of duality. The first of these themes is that of illusion versus reality, again a common theme in drama and one that includes duality as how things appear is not how they truly are. This theme also shows the tendency people have to see what they want to see and to fail to perceive the true nature of people and things in this world. A second theme in this play is transformation, clearly a term related to the idea of an alchemist, who had as his primary goal changing base metals into gold, an idea that was an illusion in itself. The writer notes that in the 'Alchemist' this idea involved a deliberate duality as even the concept of alchemy itself becomes the subject of and means to a swindle, a deliberate illusion to mask the true intent of the perpetrator.

From the Paper
"The names of the characters have a duality all their own as they tend to be fitting to the real character while the character him or herself seeks to hide that fact. The three conspirators are Subtle, Face, and Dol Common, and the use of the word "subtle" in particular suggests deception. Their primary target is Sir Epicure Mammon, a man whose name represents two of the seven deadly sins, gluttony and greed. The house where the conspirators create their illusion is owned by a man named Lovewit, also suggestive of one who knows a deception is taking place and who enjoys the game of it, though in fact he has left London to escape the plague. The conspirators want to be all things to all people, so long as this will give them an advantage and enable them to fleece those who visit them. Mammon is attracted by their promise of the Philosopher's stone, a legendary artifact that can turn base metals into gold and that is the object of all alchemical inquiry. Kastril is attracted by the promise of a charm so he can win at cards. Drugger the tobacconist wants his shop cleansed of impurities and supernatural threats. The duality of the three conspirators is matched by that of Pertinax Surly, the man who sees through their deceptions and who uses a disguise of his own to investigate."

Tags:characters, human, relations, illusion

Abstract
This paper discusses the plot and theme of "The Alchemist" and then discusses how the ideas propounded in the book pertain to the author's personal endeavors in trying to become an archeologist. The paper discusses how the book espouses the notion that in order to pursue one's dreams, that person must be subjected to tests of persistence and courage.

From the Paper
"The main character Santiago sees a vision while staying the night in an old church about finding treasures in a far off deserts of Egypt near the pyramids. Although the treasure is not found there, a man arrives and tells him that dreams are pointless, and relays his dream to Santiago of digging up treasure in an abandoned church, the same one Santiago had spent the night in and dreamed of a treasure in Egypt. Thus, the point of the journey was not digging in the sand but rather exploring the world and making one's own adventures into the treasure they seek."

Tags:archeology dreams myths, literature

Abstract
This paper reviews Paulo Coehlo's novel, "The Alchemist" and suggests that it is a story founded upon Christian (and Islamic) values prizing humanity, beneficence and charity. It specifically examines the benevolence and willingness to give that characterizes the people who assist Santiago (the protagonist) on his long journey of self-realization.

From the Paper
"At the same time, the "Old King," is quite interesting because of the biblical connotations and denotations his character offers. He is, first and foremost, an ancient biblical figure - his real name is Melchizedek, as he tells Santiago (Coehlo, 7) who once brought wine and food to Abraham after the latter had defeated his enemies. He is also viewed by scholars as the progenitor of all priesthood and as the King of Uprightness - or at least he is when he surfaces early in the Old Testament. Lastly, the Old King, Melchizedek, receives a tithe from Abraham even though the latter hardly knows him (Thomas, 403-404). Like Abraham in the Bible, Santiago gives the Old King something; in this case, his time rather than a portion of his riches. Beyond that, Melchizedek blesses Abraham (Thomas, 403) and it may be said that Melchizedek, by reminding Santiago of his duty to fulfill his Personal Legend, blesses him, as well. In the end, Coehlo has given a distinctly biblical connotation to the Quest motif at the heart of the story."

Tags:self-realization, giving, assistance

Abstract
This is a personal essay discussing how "The Alchemist" is about personal journeys and legends and how it applies to one person's journey to become an electrician.

From the Paper
"In "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho, a young shepherd Santiago goes forth to seek his destiny and his fortune. His journey is directed by his need to interpret a dream about finding a treasure. He is helped on his journey by the people he runs into who offer advice and differing opinions about where he is going and what he is doing. In the end, Santiago's journey leads him right back to the same church where he had his initial dream. He finds his..."

Tags:The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho, personal legend, electrician

Abstract
In this article, the writer notes that in recent years, two related and overlapping schools of literary theory have emerged that have offered competing responses to the relationship between Renaissance drama and the political power of Tudor and Stuart Britain. To determine the differences in these perspectives, this paper provides an analysis of Shakespeare's "The Comedy of Errors," Ben Jonson's "The Alchemist," Thomas Kyd's "The Spanish Tragedy" and Heywood's "A Woman Killed with Kindness". The writer looks at these works from the perspective of two modes of criticism or theory, with various criticisms from the new historicist camp and cultural materialist camp being reviewed. An assessment of the complexities of these modes is also provided, taking into account the social, theoretical, and critical movements that informed them. A summary of the research and salient findings are presented in the conclusion.

Outline:
Introduction
Review and Discussion
Shakespeare's "The Comedy of Errors."
Ben Jonson's "The Alchemist."
Thomas Kyd's "The Spanish Tragedy."
Thomas Heywood's "A Woman Killed with Kindness"
Analysis
Conclusion

From the Paper
"This relationship between social contract and means of production becomes even clearer when its importance in the community was taken into account, with marriage representing both a socially acceptable framework in which people could live together and have children, it was inextricably related to how people earned their livings and what roles they played in this society. In this regard, Orlin emphasizes that although marriage ceremonies feature prominently in the opening and conclusion of the play, there is a difference between the celebratory nature of the occasion today and the implications the institution had during this period in history. There is no romantic comedy involved in the marriage of John and Anne Frankford, for example, and the opening scene ... "

Tags:ideology, perspectives, culture, historical

Abstract
This paper discusses how Carl Jung's theory of individuation relies on alchemical symbolism to describe the psychological process of growth involving collective unconscious experience and personal unconscious experience. The paper provides a review of the peer-reviewed and scholarly literature to determine what alchemy was, how it was supposed to work, whether it did in fact work, and an analysis of how Jung's theory of individuation was formulated based on these arcane alchemist concepts. A summary of the research and important findings are reported in the conclusion. A photograph of 'The Splendor Solis - Plate 8: Colors of Rebirth' is included with the paper.

From the Paper
"The existing body of knowledge concerning alchemy during this period in history was largely based on manuscripts written in an esoteric and arcane, symbolic language that made them almost impossible to understand from a modern perspective; however, also during the early 20th century the emerging field of depth psychology (called 'analytical psychology' by C.G. Jung) introduced an entirely new approach to understanding the nature of alchemical pursuits and its application to human psychological development. According to Biedermann (1970), "Psychologists, notably C. G. Jung, have begun to pay serious attention to the symbolism of alchemy. Jung's interpretations are often not much easier to understand than the obscure texts of the old alchemists themselves but his investigations focused attention on the 'esoteric alchemy,' on the symbolism as opposed to the chemistry" (p. 57). "

Tags:gold, knowledge, symbolism

Abstract
This paper considers how the metaphor of alchemy is a metaphor of becoming, suggesting in terms of psychology that the old dream of turning base metals into gold can serve as a metaphor for changing the personality and for observing the process as it takes place. The nature of this metaphor is stated clearly by Schwartz-Salant (1998) when he writes 'Because alchemy is characterized by a peculiar identification between the alchemist and the material with which he or she works, personal and material transformation are intertwined so closely as to defy their separation'. The paper further discusses how this linkage is part of the complex metaphor of alchemy which accepts the possibility that changes in the personality of the artisan somehow effect changes in the matter with which he or she is working.

Tags:self, personality, psychology