Hi there!
Welcome to our August Finale for Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist.
Trigger Warning: Religion, Philosophy, Wars, Alchemy
Overall
In the end, Ceraya and Brieanna liked the finale of the book, but there was still some confusion about the point of this story. We understand that the final note has to do with the treasure being within yourself the whole time, but the second half of this book has a TON of monotheistic influence in it. Especially that there is a creator that all souls and nature answer to, and that said creator is all-powerful and all-knowing. Brieanna recalls that this book stuck out to her as a teenager because it went against the religious environment she was raised in, and because this book features a more loosey-goosey form of religious and philosophical discussion.
Santiago
We noticed how in the second half in the book, Santiago's opinions kind of disappear and he becomes a lens for the reader more than anything else. Which is too easy, in our opinion. We thought Santiago was not challenged enough.
We loved Fatima, and liked how peaceful she was. We honestly didn't understand why Santiago didn't pick her up on the way back to Spain in the end, to collect his treasure at the Church.
The Alchemist
We liked The Alchemist and his character. He was the most interesting one in the book, mostly because he was the most straightforward, but also the most mysterious. We felt that his practical look at alchemy, the world around him, and god made him much more relatable. He also didn't coddle anyone and seemed to have more self-respect than the other characters, which was refreshing. He didn't give in to the Englishman or to Santiago, or to the leaders in the Oasis or the Priests and Warriors they came across. The Alchemist was most likely meant to be another persona for god, but that was not explored much, because Santiago was essentially pushed out on his own to seek his own success at the Pyramids.
The Journey
We are bothered by this concept of the journey being worth the effort, regardless of the payoff, or if there is a payoff at all. Both of us thought this was silly. We are not going to invest our time into something unless it brings us joy, money, or some form of need met. We do not see a point in taking some concept of a moral high-ground only to be told that there was no reason to take it than to have experienced the high-ground in and of itself. We see that as a huge waste of time.
Something else we noted was that this book was likely an exploration for Paulo as much as it is for readers, and perhaps it is not to be taken as an observation, but more like an interpretation of the energies inside of us asking for answers. Is it good to face a challenge, even if there is no treasure at the end? Perhaps, but that depends on ones' state of life. One person cannot simply give everything up to face some kind of challenge without an assurance that it will be worth it. We go to our shift at work because we know we will be paid. We spend time with our loved ones because we know they will take care of us. But we don't give up all of those assurances, just to chase a dream. That could be careless and dangerous, and harmful to one's self, if not careful.
The Treasure Within
We rolled our eyes a little bit that at the end, the treasure ended up being back in Spain - and then we rolled our eyes extra that Santiago didn't grab Fatima on the way back to Spain, but instead left her in Egypt, and had to go back to get her AGAIN after finding the treasure. We understand that the whole point is that the treasure is within, but it was just so on the nose.
The whole point also feels like the journey was the focus the whole time, but then at the end to throw the twist in that the treasure is back where you started - at the heart of yourself- seems counterintuitive. It feels like you have to "backtrack" to be successful, which is not always true.
It felt like whiplash to be told to follow God and that God has power over all things, but then to turn around and be told that God is within you. We understand that both can be true at the same time, and that they are not mutually exclusive, depending on your beliefs and where they lay, but believing that god is within you is a very eastern concept of religion, and believing that god is all powerful and around you is a very western concept of religion. Combining the two to prove point is a little lost in this book, and the author could have even gone further with that concept, and could have brought it full-circle.
With love, see you soon!
Ceraya & Brieanna
Comments