38
After examining the findings and considering the strengths and weaknesses of the previous researches above, the researcher firmly nominates a
quest or an adventure book The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho for her research. The researcher agrees with Julia Boll to analyse the narrative structure of the novel
focusing on the archetype o f hero’s journey by exploring the stages or patterns in
the cycle of Separation-Initiation-Return. In this research, the researcher relies on Vogler’s theory of mythic structure especially the stages of the archetypes of
hero’s journey. The researcher also agrees with Gatricya in using structuralism to get deeper analysis in displaying the archetypes of hero’s journey.
C. Paulo Coelho and The Alchemist
Paulo Coelho is one of the most influential authors in literary work industry. He was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in August 1947. His middle class
household predisposed him to bury his dream on artistic career. Nevertheless, in Jesuit school he discovered his true vocation to be a writer. Before Coelho
becomes a writer and dedicates his life to literature, he ever worked as Journalist, lyricist, and involved with a theatre group as director. Unfortunately, his parents
forbade him and had another plan for him. H is parents saw Coelho’s desire of
writing as a sign of mental illness and brought him to mental institution Coelho, 1993: 193.
In 1968, Brazil was ruled by a repressive military regime. In that time, Paulo participated in Guerilla, a hippie organization, in order to spread love and
peace. This experience encouraged him to travel all over Latin America, seeking
39
experience of spirituality. Then, he worked in theatre and journalism again and successfully launched an alternative magazine called 2011. Besides, he
collaborated with music producer Raul Seixas as a lyricist. He joined an organization that defended the individual’s right to free expression, namely
Alternative Society. As a member of that organization, he published a series of comic strips about freedom.
His passion on writing predisposed him to keep on writing, but he didn’t start seriously until he had an encounter with a stranger. The stranger suggested
that Coelho should return to Catholicism, and encouraged him to take the pilgrim’s route in the Road of Santiago de Compostela. A year after completing
the pilgrimage, in 1987, Coelho wrote The Pilgrimage; Diary of Magus. A year later, Coelho wrote The Alchemist Coelho, 1993: 195. Now, in his biography
cited in Paulo Coelho Blog, Paulo Coelho is a Messenger of Peace for the UN, Ambassador of European Union for Intercultural Dialogue for the year of 2008,
Member of the Board of the Shimon Peres Institute for Peace, UNESCO special counsellor for “Intercultural Dialogues and Spiritual Convergences”, Board
Member of the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, and Member of the Brazilian Academy of Letters.
Besides The Pilgrimage: Diary of Magus 1987 and The Alchemist 1988, his other works are Hell Archives 1982, Veronika Decides to Die
1998, Practical Manual of Vampirism 1985, Brida 1990, The Valkyries 1992, By the river Piedra I sat Down and Wept 1994, the collection of his best
columns published in the Brazilian newspaper Folha de São Paulo entitled
