Return with the Elixir
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Figure 2. The Alchemist ’s Plot Diagram
The vertical line states the scale of tension. The curved represents the level of dramatic tension in the story. The horizontal line represents the forward
progression of the story. It is seen by the sequence of the events in the story that signifies the act 1- separation, act 2- initiation, and act 3 return. The numerical
symbols represent the stages of the archetype of hero’s journey. They are placed
near to each of the phases, marking to the development of those phases. The phase of exposition is marked by stage 1- The Ordinary World, stage 2- The Call to
Adventure, stage 3- Refusal of the Call, and stage 4- Meeting with the Mentor. The phase of rising action is marked by the stage 5- Crossing the First Threshold.
The phase of complication is marked by the stage 6- Test, Allies, Enemies, stage 7- Approach to the Inmost Cave, stage 8- Supreme Ordeal, stage 9- Seizing the
Reward and stage 10- The Road Back. The phase of climax is marked by the stage
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11- Resurrection. The phase of falling action and resolution are marked by the stage 12- Return with the Elixir.
In using the plot, some evidences, relating the finding with its method of presentation are recorded. The first evidence is that the first stage
of hero’s journey, which is The Ordinary World, is found in the beginning of the story or in
the phase of exposition. The phase of exposition or introduction lies in the beginning of story, in which the dramatic situation is introduced. This phase is
characterized by a low level of tension and generally contains a number of the basic information that the reader must know in order to understand the next
events. In The Alchemist, after a prologue, the stage of The Ordinary World
precedes the others stages. The hero –as the essential part of a story- along with
his first appearance, lack, inner and outer problem is exposed in the beginning of the story. This phase of exposition or introduction is still marking the other stages
including the stage of The Call to Adventure, Refusal of the Call, and Meeting with the Mentor.
Meanwhile, the second evidence is that the next stage of Crossing the First Threshold is linear to the next phase which is the rising action phase. The
rising action phase shows how the dramatic situations are rising. It is marked when the hero, Santiago, decides to undertake the journey and passes the first test
in act one of Separation. The third evidence shows that the stage of Test-Allies-Enemies, Approach
to the Inmost Cave, Supreme Ordeal, Seizing the Reward, and The Road Back are
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marking the phase of complication. The plot of complication lies during the event that puts the hero into act 2 of Initiation. The actions in the complication raise the
tension and drive the story forward and keep rolling. The plot is started when the hero, Santiago, starts to do the first test of the act 2 in the special world which is a
new and strange place for him. The plot of complication ends after passing the highest level of tension in that phase. The highest level of tension is called
suspense. The stage of Supreme Ordeal represents the suspense, for it is the most