Over 8 billion people in the world travel every day for different reasons. Moreover, not
everyone gets from point a to point b in the same way. Nor do people have the same
experiences as another person. In Paulo Coelho's novel, The Alchemist a boy named Santiago
goes on a journey to discover his Personal Legend, He learns many lessons from people he
meets along the way. Santiago learns to be fearless and learns how to make sacrifices with the
help of the crystal merchant and Fatima.
One of Santiago's encounters is the crystal merchant, who is a devoted Muslim.
However, the merchant has never fulfilled the fifth obligation which is the pilgrimage to Mecca.
All he has ever known to do is sell and buy crystals. The merchant and Santiago both share the
desire to travel, but fear holds them back. The merchant believes "It is the thought of Mecca that
keeps [him] alive. [He] prefers to dream about it." Before Santiago can take action on his
journey, he has to teach the crystal merchant that change is inevitable and sometimes change
can help in the long run. Santiago helps the merchant embrace the present and helps him not to
let the past define him. Santiago practices what he preaches and his actions allow him to move
on from the past and help him continue his journey. He learns that life is all about taking risks.
Santiago will then make his way across the desert and will meet a woman named, Fatima.
After crossing the desert, Santiago reaches a village called Al-Fayoum. He meets
Fatima, a woman of the desert....
