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important or the peak moment. The peak moment of their romance signifies the courtship ritual between the two lovers. The following is a depiction of the main
courtship moment in the novel: Im going away, he said.
And I want you to know that Im coming back. I love you because…
“I love you because the entire universe conspired to help me find you. The two embraced. It was the first time either had touched the other.
Ill be back, the boy said. Before this, I always looked to the desert with longing, said Fatima.
Now it will be with hope. My father went away one day, but he returned to my mother, and he has always come back since then.
Ill return, just as your father came back to your mother, he said. He saw that Fatimas eyes were filled with tears. Youre crying?
Im a woman of the desert, she said, averting her face. But above all, Im a woman
” Coelho, 1993: 121-123. From the story above, Fatima shows Santiago that she not only loves him
but also understands the language of the desert and follows the omens. She is also looking for treasure, but i
t is not like Santiago’s treasure. She is looking for her man and finally the man is Santiago. Fatima notices that Santiago must achieve
his quest to get the treasure. Thus, instead of getting jealous or insecure, she tells him that she will wait for him because she is a desert woman who is used to
waiting. Fatima, serves an important purpose in the novel, because she shows the way that real love is not jealous, and lets the beloved pursue their
“Personal Legend
” rather than holding them back or being insecure. So, the result of this courtship moment is to support Santiago with the meaning of true love before he
is facing the great ordeal.
c. Obstacle as the Preparation of the Ordeal
Another function of this stage for the hero is to delay him with obstacles. Actually, being in love with Fatima is also an obstacle for Santiago. Since
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Santiago thinks that Fatima is more important than the hidden treasure in Egypt, he then betrays his mind of achieving the treasure. Santiago says I want to stay
at the oasis- Ive found Fatima, and, as far as Im concerned, shes worth more than treasureCoelho, 1993: 118.Now, he considers that Fatima is the real
treasure he is looking for. However, the hero always finds a way to get out from such an obstacle. In this occasion, Santiago is helped by the old alchemist. He
attempts to awake Santiago and persuade him to continue the journey. Besides, on the journey, the old alchemist forces the boy to keep learning from the journey
about the omen and to keep listening to his heart. This datum below is a depiction of how Santiago is entrapped by his thought and how the alchemist tries to awake
him: I have already found my treasure. I have a camel, I have my money from
the crystal shop, and I have fifty gold pieces. In my own country, I would be a rich man.
But none of that is from the Pyramids, said the alchemist. I also have Fatima. She is a treasure greater than anything else I have
won. She wasnt found at the Pyramids, either.
The boy didnt want to talk about the Pyramids. His heart was heavy, and he had been melancholy since the previous night. To continue his search
for the treasure meant that he had to abandon Fatima. Im going to guide you across the desert, the alchemist said Coelho,
1993: 115.
The researcher notices that Santiago is delayed by the thought of deciding Fatima as the treasure. Actually, Santiago is reluctant to continue his journey
since there is a tribal war at the desert. Being in love with Fatima induces Santiago to make a new decision that is to stay in the Oasis and live with Fatima.
His lack of courage to achieve the dream is his old problem that has appeared since the story has begun. Thus the function of this obstacle is to teach him more
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about the knowledge of the language of the world or else to prepare him facing the ordeal. From the story above, the alchemist tells Santiago that a genuine love can
speak the language of the world and never betrays the lover. If it is a true love, it will never spoil until he comes back. In contrast, if it is only a moment of light or
happiness, he will find nothing in his return.
8. Supreme Ordeal
The ordeal is not the climax but the most critical moment in any story, especially in the realm of special world. In this stage the hero faces death and
rebirth quality in which the battle or challenge creates a high tension and suspense. In The Alchemist, after Santiago leaves Fatima and attempts to reach the
Egypt, he must go through the “inmost cave” which is the area of war. There he
must face the possibility of death. This datum below is a reflection of the “inmost
cave” of the ordeal:
“The sun was setting when the boys heart sounded a danger signal. They were surrounded by gigantic dunes, and the boy looked at the alchemist to
see whether he had sensed anything. But he appeared to be unaware of any danger. Five minutes later, the boy saw two horsemen waiting ahead of
them. Before he could say anything to the alchemist, the two horsemen had become ten, and then a hundred. And then they were everywhere in
the dunes. They were tribesmen dressed in blue, with black rings surrounding their turbans. Their faces were hidden behind blue veils, with
only their eyes showing. Even from a distance, their eyes conveyed the strength of their souls. And their eyes spoke of death
” Coelho, 1993: 138- 139
Santiago enters the realm of the “inmost cave” where he will encounter the
ordeal. At that moment, Santiago suddenly gets a danger signal from his heart. He is sure enough that he and the alchemist are surrounded by a hundred tribesmen.
