men become part of everything in the world. They become part of the Soul of the World. Even Fatima has not married yet, she is accustomed to it Coelho 98.
Fatima also tells him that she is proud of being a desert woman. And she says that if one day Santiago becomes her husband, she wants him to be like other
desert men. She will accept the fact if one day her husband will be the part of the world like other men who do not return.
“I’m a desert woman, and I’m proud of that. I want my husband to wander as free as the wind that shapes the dunes. And, if I have to, I will accept
the fact that he has become a part of the clouds, and the animals, and the water of the desert.” Coelho 98
On the day before Santiago leaves, Fatima shows her sincerity. When Santiago tries to tell Fatima that he loves her because of something, Fatima
interrupts his talk. She believes that there is no reason for someone to be loved or to love Coelho 122.
After having some talks, Fatima cries. She cries because she loves Santiago. Now, the man who she loves will go for pursuing his dream. In addition,
Fatima has to accept the risk if something bad will happen to Santiago. “He saw that Fatima’s eyes were filled with tears. ‘You’re crying?’ ‘I’m a woman of the
desert,’ she said, averting her face. ‘But above all, I’m a woman’.” Coelho 122 The personal description of Fatima shows that she is a beautiful Arab girl
with dark eyes. The author’s direct comment also shows that her beauty makes Santiago falls in love with her at his first sight. From her speeches and reactions,
the readers may find that she is a supportive girl. Even loves Santiago, she keeps supporting and encouraging him to pursue his dream in finding the treasure near
the Pyramids. And from these two methods of characterization too, Fatima’s sincerity is seen.
4.2.4 The Alchemist
The Alchemist is a desert man. He grows up and lives in the desert. He knows the desert very well. He watches the changing dunes because of the wind
since he is a child. He has seen many kinds of people come and go in the desert Coelho 86.
The Alchemist is first seen as a mysterious person. Santiago is afraid at the first time he sees him. He rides a horse dressing with all black and with a falcon
on his shoulder. He also wears a turban. He covers his face with a black kerchief but not his eyes. His enormous curved sword from a scabbard that mounts on his
saddle shows him like a mere messenger. The way of his coming and his dressing frighten Santiago. He rides a white horse when he comes to Santiago Coelho
109. The Alchemist is a wise man. The readers know it through Santiago’s
thought. The first time, he meets Santiago, he says about a topic that surprises Santiago. The Alchemist talks about the Language of the World. What he says
reminds Santiago about the old king. Only few people know this topic and they must be wise people.
“I had to test your courage,” the stranger said. “Courage is the quality most essential to understanding the Language of the World.” The boy was
surprised. The stranger was speaking of things that very people knew about. “You must not let up, even after having come so far,” he
continued. “You must love the desert, but never trust it completely. Because the desert tests all men: it challenges every step, and kills those
who become distracted.” What he said reminded the boy of the old king. Coelho 111
When the Alchemist invites Santiago to come to his tent, he gives him an advice that is almost the same as what the old king has said. The Alchemist tells
Santiago that if he really wants something, the entire universe will conspire to help him realizing his dream. Santiago realizes that he will help him to find the
treasure Coelho 114-115. The Alchemist serves Santiago a bottle of wine. Santiago knows that wine
is prohibited in that area because Muslims are not allowed to consume it. The Alchemist gives his good reason why he drinks a wine by saying “It’s what comes
out of their mouths that is.” Coelho 115 During their meal, the Alchemist gives Santiago his good advice about
treasure. He also suggests him to buy a horse rather than a camel if he wants to ride through the desert.
“Drink and enjoy yourself,” said the alchemist, noticing that the boy was feeling happier. “Rest well tonight, as if you were a warrior preparing for
combat. Remember that wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure. You’ve got to find the treasure, so that everything you have
learned along the way can make sense. Tomorrow, sell your camel and buy a horse. Camels are traitorous: they walk thousands of paces and never
seem to tire. Then suddenly, they kneel and die. But horse tire bit by bit. You always know how much you can ask of them and when it is that they
are about to die”. Coelho 115-116
The next day, when the Alchemist and Santiago ride in the desert, Santiago tells him that his heart is heavy about leaving Fatima. And he does not
want to go actually. Then the Alchemist tells him a possibility if Santiago decides to stay in the oasis and abandons his treasure. He also gives him another good
advice about what he feels in his heart. “You must understand that love never keeps a man from pursuing his Personal Legend. If he abandons that pursuit, it’s
because it wasn’t true love…the love that speaks the Language of the World.” Coelho 120.
Finally, the Alchemist is successful in persuading Santiago. The
next day, Santiago decides to search for the treasure with the Alchemist as his companion. The Alchemist understands that Santiago thinks about Fatima who is
left behind. He convinces Santiago that Fatima will wait for him until he comes back to the desert.
“Don’t think about what you left behind,” the alchemist said to the boy as they began to ride across the sand of the desert. “Everything is written in
the Soul of the World, and there it will stay forever.” “Men dream more about coming home than about leaving,” the by said. He was already
reaccustomed to the desert’s silence. “If what one finds is made of pure matter, it will never spoil.
And one can always come back. If what you had found was only a moment of light, like the explosion of a star, you would find nothing on your
return.” The man was speaking the language of alchemy. But the boy knew that he was referring to Fatima. Coelho 123-124
During their journey in the desert, the Alchemist gives a lot advice to Santiago. If he contemplates a simple grain of sand in the desert, the desert gives
him understanding of the world. The Alchemist tells him the way how to immerse the desert. All he needs to do is just listening to his heart because it always tells
the truth of the world. Because by doing so, Santiago will have understanding of the world from it. The heart never tells a lie because it comes from the Soul of the
World Coelho 127. The Alchemist is cautious. The author gives his direct comment about this
characteristic of the Alchemist. “They crossed the desert for another two days in PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
silence. The Alchemist had become much more cautious, because they were approaching the area where the most violent battles were being waged.” Coelho
127-128 The Alchemist shows his cautiousness when he and Santiago meet three
armed tribesmen. The Alchemist knows that anything can happen in the desert. He knows that if he or Santiago shows something suspicious in front of them, they
will think that he and Santiago are spies. Therefore, when the tribesmen ask him and Santiago about their luggage, the Alchemist honestly tells them.
The Arabs laughed at him, and the alchemist laughed along. They thought his answer was amusing, and they allowed the boy and the alchemist to
proceed with all of their belongings. “Are you crazy?” the boy asked the alchemist,
when they had moved on. “What did you do that for?” “To show you one of
life’s simple lessons,” the alchemist answered. “When you possess great treasures within you, and try to tell others of them, seldom are you
believed.” Coelho 133-134
One afternoon when the Alchemist and Santiago ride in the desert, they pass the encampment of one of the tribes. None of the tribesmen pays attention to
them. In addition, Santiago tells the Alchemist that there is no danger. Nevertheless, suddenly the Alchemist is upset with Santiago because he seems not
to realize that they are in the desert. When there is a war, the Soul of the World can hear the screams of the battle. And everyone can suffer because of the war.
Then Santiago realizes that everything in the world is one. Suddenly, two equestrians appear behind them. Santiago is surprised that the Alchemist is right
that no one fails to suffer from war Coelho 135. The readers also can find the Alchemist cautiousness through his reaction.
When the Alchemist and Santiago are taken to a military camp in the desert, he PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
offers Santiago’s money to the tribesmen. Santiago is surprised because he saves it for his entire life. The Alchemist tells him that everything can happen in the
desert and money will have no value if they die. In fact, the money saves them for three days in the military camp Coelho 141.
The Alchemist is a brave man. When the tribesmen stop them, the Alchemist bravely looks into the eyes of the tribesmen. He does not show any fear
to the tribesmen. Moreover, Santiago realizes that the Alchemist dominates them. “You can’t go ay father,” one of them said. “You’re in the area where the
tribes are at war.” “I’m not going very far,” the alchemist answered, looking straight into the eyes of the horsemen. They were silent for a
moment, and then agreed that the boy and the alchemist could move along. The boy watched the exchange with fascination. “You dominated those
horsemen with the way you looked at them,” he said. “Your eyes show the strength of your soul,” answered the alchemist. Coelho 136
The author describes the Alchemist’s personal description as a mysterious desert man. The readers may find that the Alchemist is a wise man through his
thoughts, speech, and actions. In addition, through his reaction and direct comment from the author, the readers can understand that he is a cautious person.
Moreover, from his speech to other characters, the readers will find his brave side. Using six out of nine ways proposed by Murphy, the readers will be able to
understand more about the Alchemist’s characteristics.
4.3 The Influence of the Minor Characters on Santiago’s Motivation in
Realizing His Dream
In this section, theories by Mischel and Rotter as cited by Schultz and Mischel are applied. Mischel 530 states that there is a mutual influence between
