1. “whoever you are It's your mission on earth” (Coelho 21-22).
The philosophy of the novel is somewhat based on the above quote. The message Coelho is conveying is that dreams are not selfish or silly desires that we should ignore. Instead, dreams or something we desire or really want are actually a calling, and pursuing such a dream is our “mission on earth” that can lead us on a journey of discovery. The concept of “the soul of the universe” is also introduced in this quote that is referred to as the “Soul of the World” later in the novel. Basically, the quote implies the notion that fulfilling our desires is the sole purpose of our life and this also reflects the concept of Personal Legend.
2. “The alchemists spent to a purification of themselves.”
In the above quote, the process of how transform metals has been compared with the notion of how human beings who pursue their Personal Legends can attain spiritual perfection. Just like alchemists turn lead into gold by purifying it, similarly human beings who follow their Personal Legends also end up ridding themselves of impurities, transforming themselves into better beings. The idea that this quote implies is that pursuing the Personal Legend should be a person’s primary goal, without distracting their focus on the “the vanities of the world,” only then can they purify themselves and become as perfect as gold on a spiritual level.
3. “We are afraid of losing what were written by the same hand” (Coelho 76).
Fear is being addressed in the above quote. The biggest hurdle in the path of people who opt to pursue their Personal Legends is fear. The idea that people if people recognize that they have a part in something greater than their own life then they will not be afraid of anything is also raised by this quote. This quote also implies that we all have a larger world surrounding us and the part that our lives play in it is dictated by God. If people realize this, then they will not be afraid of anything because they will understand that everything that happens in life serves a higher purpose.
Work Cited
Coelho, P., & Clarke, A. R. (1993). The alchemist. New York: HarperCollins.
