The Alchemist Short Summary

The Alchemist, a masterpiece by Paulo Coelho, gives an account of a shepherd boy, Santiago. The boy longs to search for treasures that the world has to offer. He travels to the Egyptian desert. The treasures are said to be buried near the Pyramids. The boy meets Gyps, a man that refers to himself as king, and alchemist. They all point to the direction of the treasures. No one is certain about the existence of these treasures.

Santiago has a dream. In this dream, he is with sheep in the fields when a young girl appears. She plays with the sheep and promises to tell Santiago the location of the treasures. Santiago wakes up before the girl tells him the place. When he consults a Gypsy woman the meaning of the recurring dream, he is told treasures are waiting for him. The woman only wants 10% of the treasure if Santiago finds it.

He reads a book the o distract him from King’s conversation. The king is also called Melchizedek T Santiago becomes more interested in the king when he asks Santiago to offer him 10% of his sheep for the interpretation of the dream. Santiago’s attention is aroused because he had not told the king anything about this dream.

Courageously, Santiago sells the sheep he had and travels to Tangiers. His money is stolen, and Santiago has to take a job. The Merchant that Santiago worked for educates him how to go for the journey successfully. Santiago worked for a year and earned enough money. He now wants to return home. When on the caravan, Santiago meets an Englishman with an intriguing personality. The Englishman inspires Santiago to look for the treasure. Santiago then falls in love with Fatima. Love makes Santiago think Fatima is the treasure she has been looking for. The alchemist helps him locate the treasure. He recalls the story of the Personal Legend and understands its importance at this point.

Moreover, he realizes why it is critical for one to search for their destiny. He gets what the old king meant. The story gives an account of some of the things we have to do to locate treasures in our lives. The main purpose of life can only be achieved if people are courageous, believe in their dreams and move on despite the numerous challenges that they are likely to encounter. That is what The Alchemist teaches the readers.