The Alchemist

Sign Post: Part Three

Contrasts & Contractions- Since when Santiago decided to go to Egypt after listening to the gypsy woman and also to pursue his personal legend, he was always very unsure about him choosing a right path or not. Santiago also started to think "It seemed as if what the old king has called "beginner's luck" were no longer functioning" and this shows the insecurity that lies within himself after al this hard work he did to pursue his personal legend of finding the treasure. This started to contradict as soon as Santiago encountered one of the woman of the desert, "Was not dressed in black", Fatima. "At that moment, it seemed to him that time stood still, and the Soul of the World surged within him...he learned the most important part of the language that all the world spoke...the language... capable of understanding in their heart", this shows the affection that Santiago had towards Fatima and this really contradicts with him before meeting her; it is mainly because he understood that the reason he was able to meet her was with the help of the universe, and his hard work paid off. Their love symbolizes the trust between two people, and it is very significant that Fatima lets Santiago go follow his personal legend which gives the idea of how Santiago have something to return for after achieve his personal legend, finding the treasure.

Contrast & Contradictions- At the beginning of the novel, Santiago met Melchizedek, the king of Salem, and one of the most significant advice from him to Santiago is that the fate doesn't rule the person and the destiny can be change by the person. Later in the novel, Santiago met the crystal merchant, and he later used the word "Maktub", meaning "it is written". The word "Maktub" repeats throughout the novel by different character, and that really clashes or contradicts with the idea of the Melchizedek. Then later when Santiago met Fatima, he said "Maktub", which goes back to the idea of him believing that it was destined for him to meet Fatima, and the universal force helped them meet. However, Santiago struggles to choose whether the fate rules the person or it doesn't. This also foreshadows how Santiago, in future is likely to be struggling with the idea of faith and destiny, in general.

Reflection:

The meeting of Santiago and the Fatima, in The Alchemist, reminds me of the meeting of the Ram and Sita. Ram and Sita, are the married couple and they are the part of a very significant epic story called "Ramayan", and they are also one of the of the deities in Hinduism. Ram was the king of the Ayodhya but due some circumstances, he was told to leave his position of being the king and spend 14 years surviving in the forest. Ram agreed to do that because of his respect towards his dad, and Sita also decided to spend 14 years with Ram in the forest, and this shows the loves and trust between the Ram and Sita, which they are also known for. This is very similar to the case of Santiago and Fatima, because Santiago was unsure about whether to follow his personal legend or not. Fortunately, Fatima ensured him that she will  happily yet desperately wait for him, like his mother waited for her father, and she will have trust in him, because she knows that he will surely return someday to her. "Now it will be the hope... I'm a woman of the desert... but above all, I'm a woman...".

Questions:

1. Is meeting with Fatima will make Santiago want to achieve his personal legend even more than before?
2. Was meeting with Fatima considered to be the "Beginner's luck", or is there something more to come?