The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho Essay Example for Free

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho Essay The book The Alchemist was originally written in Portuguese by Paulo Coelho in 1987. To date, it sold 35 million copies and is reigned as the most translated book in the world by a living author. The Alchemist was the second book of the now 67-year old Coelho following his first novel attempt entitled The Pilgrimage. It was Coelho’s second book that made him known worldwide, but amazingly, it just took him a course of one two-week spurt of creativity to complete the novel The Alchemist. The novel was about one Andalusian shepherd boy’s mystical trek towards realizing his recurring dream of finding his treasure located at the Egyptian Pyramids. Eventually, as he go on through his journey, he learns to speak the Language of the World and discovering the essence of alchemy. He meets different people along his way, starting with the fortune-teller whom he asks to interpret his recurring dream that night while sleeping near a sycamore tree in the sacristy of an abandoned church. The lady says he should pursue finding his treasure and when he does find it, he must give her a part of it as payment for her service. The second person he meets is a mysterious old man who seems to be able to read his mind. This man introduces himself as Melchizedek, or the King of Salem. He tells the boy about good and bad omens and says that it is the shepherds duty to pursue his Personal Legend. Melchizedek then gives him two stones, Urim and Thummim, for him to use when he needs help to interpret omens. The boy decides to follow what the man has said to him and sells his herd to purchase a ticket to Tangier, in northern Africa. But shortly after he arrives there, a thief steals all of his money, so he decides to look for a way to make enough money to return home. He finds work in the shop of a crystal merchant, where after a year he makes improvements that is gratified by financial rewards. He then leaves to proceed in the pursuit of his treasure. He joins a caravan traveling to Egypt. There, he meets an Englishman who wants to learn the secret of alchemy, or turning any metal into gold, from a famous alchemist who lives at an oasis on the way to the pyramids. While traveling, the boy begins listening to the desert and discovering the Soul of the World. The caravan reaches the oasis after some  time, and there he falls in love to an Arab girl named Fatima. The caravan leader tells them that tribal warfare prevents them from continuing their journey so they are staying at the oasis a little longer. One day, the boy wanders from the oasis into the desert and sees two hawks fighting in the sky with a vision of an army entering the oasis. Because attacking an oasis is a violation of the rules of the desert, he shares his vision with the oasiss tribal chieftain. Soon afterward, he is confronted by a black-garbed, veiled stranger with a sword, who sits atop a white horse. It is the alchemist. The tribal chieftain arms his men, and they are well-prepared when the oasis is indeed invaded. The alchemist offers to cross the desert with the boy. Soon the two men enter into an area of intense tribal warfare. Warriors hold the two men captive, but eventually allow them to continue their journey after the boy manages to demonstrate to them that he can be one with the wind. The alchemist tells the boy that he needs to return to the oasis, and that the rest of the trip is his to make alone so that he can claim his Personal Legend. The alchemist shows him how the Elixir of Life and the Philosophers’ Stone are made and he gave him the quarter of the gold before leaving the boy on his own. The boy arrives at the Egyptian pyramids and begins to dig. He finds nothing buried in the ground. Thieves come and see him, they beat him and rob him of his gold. After he tells them of his dream, though, one of the thieves recounts his own dream about a buried treasure in the sacristy of an abandoned church. He then realizes where his treasure can be found. Returning to Andalusia, he goes back to the church where he dreamed of the treasure near the pyramids. He digs where he slept, beneath a sycamore tree, and there it is, his treasure. He plans to return with it to Al-Fayoum, where he will reunite with Fatima, who awaits him. This story, for me, is really one of a kind. It’s not every time that I get to read novels like this which is simply a work of a truly passionate and creative mind. According to The Alchemist, Personal Legends serve as the only means by which an individual can live a satisfying life. In fact, the universe can only achieve perfection if all natural things continuously undergo a cycle of achieving their Personal Legend, evolving into a higher being with a new Personal Legend, and then pursuing that new goal. This  concept, that the individualistic pursuit of a Personal Legend exists as life’s dominant—perhaps only—spiritual demand, lies at the center of the unique theology of The Alchemist. I love how the alchemy was introduced and explored in the story. I know little about the science of turning metals into gold – though I have been hearing it – but this book is just so well-written that after I finished reading it, I have a certain feeling of understanding what it really is and what it is really meant for. The story also emphasizes that it is not the destination but the journey that shapes us. In the book, the boy’s destiny wanted him to learn many things beyond being a simple shepherd, so he was sent to a journey that he never thought he would ever experience in pursuit of a treasure in his dream, only to find out in the end that it was just located in the place where his dream occurred. Even with this, he did not regret that he went through that far because he knew that what he found along the way was the most precious treasure a man could ever have. Moreover, in The Alchemist, the spiritual unity represented by the Soul of the World binds together all of nature, from human beings to desert sand. This idea underlies the parallel we see in the novel between the alchemist purifying metal into gold and the shepherd boy purifying himself into someone capable of achieving his Personal Legend. According to the novel, the Soul of the World has created an ultimate desire, or Personal Legend, for everything, whether a man or a piece of iron. To accomplish its Personal Legend, each thing must learn to tap into the Soul of the World, which purifies it. That continual purification ultimately leads to perfection. This notion of humans, metals, and all other things sharing the same goal demonstrates that all elements in nature are essentially different forms of a single spirit. Recalling from the book, there also is the mentioning about the Language of the World, and that every heart knows and understands it if we will just learn how to listen to what it has to say, like how the boy learned to communicate to the nature through his heart. Another relevant thing in this novel is the presence of omens everywhere and at any given time. It was said there that we just have to learn how to read them, and that they are there to guide us towards achieving our destined Personal Legends. But just like what is implied in the story, fear prevents people from realizing their destinies, so we tend to ignore the omens, and their call to be recognized are eventually becoming  more and more silent. I also noticed the involvement of religions (Islam and Catholic). I have always thought that talking about religious beliefs and practices is as complicated as discussing the theories of origin of the universe. But in this case, I am relieved that none of the sectors is being favored nor left behind. Not that there is a competition of which is right and which is wrong, but if I would be asked, I’d rather not to answer. Lastly, and probably what really stole a good bit of me is the foreign phrase maktub that was mentioned how many times in the book. It means â€Å"it is written†, which pertains to the destiny we each has that’s written by a Superior Hand for us to fulfil. I always thought that everything that happens serves a purpose, maktub.

The Hot Zone Essay -- essays research papers

AUTHOR: Richard Preston PUBLISHER: Random House DATE OF PUBLICATION: 1994 Setting: The setting g takes place in two major places. Reston Maryland which is a suburb of Washington DC. and the second major area is in Kenya Africa. The story takes place in the 1980's. Main Characters: Since this story is a true story there is no one character that is a main character. The author does not create the story around any one main character so I'll just list every character I can remember from the book. 1. Charles Monet: He was the first host to the deadly ebola virus breakout in Africa. He was 56 years old and was kind of a loner according to the authors interviews with people. 2. Dr. Mosoke: He was Charles Monets doctor when Charles crashed and bled out which means when the host suddenly starts bleeding infectious blood out of every orifice in the body. 3. Nancy Jaax: She was a veterinary pathologist at a military fort in Maryland.. 4. Jerry Jaax: He was a veterinarian and husband to Nancy Jaax. 5. Peter Jahrling: He was a disease expert at Fort Detrick 6. Gene Johnson: He was in charge of the Reston operation. He also was the discoverer of Ebola Sudan. 7. Nun: The Nun's name was unknown but she had the very first recorded case of Ebola Zaire which is the most dangerous of the three strains. Summary: This is a true story. On New Year's Day 1980 a man named Charles Monet went on a trip with a girl friend of his up to Mnt. Elgon in West Kenya. They spent the night there and went to a l...

Safeguarding the Welfare of Children and Young People.

UNIT: TDA 2. 2 SAFEGUARDING THE WELFARE OF CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE. Question 1. TDA 2. 2: LEARNING OUTCOME 2. 4 Describe in detail the actions that you would take response to the following emergency situations in your setting to include: †¢ Fire †¢ Security incidents †¢ Missing children and young people *********************************************************************** EMERGENCY SITUATIONS FIRE: If i discovered a fire on the premises i would immediatly raise the alarm, if i was near to a phone i would also dial 999. On hearing the alarm the head teacher would dial 999 or instruct a member of staff to do so). I would only tackle the fire if possible using the appliance provided if it was a small fire and i knew how to use the appliance provided correctly and safely. On hearing the fire alarm, i would follow the instructions of the teacher in charge. I would calmly assist in gathering all pupils and guiding them out through the nearest fire exit immediatly. If i w as the last person out i would ensure i closed all doors behind me. All persons, staff and pupils would report to the assembly point (in my case it would be the front yard). A register would be taken. The school policy states any absentees an immediate search will be made. The policy also states do not take risks and do not return to the building until authorised to do so. I would closely listen and follow instructions from the head or teacher in charge. I know where all the fire alarms are and fire exits within the school and have read the fire notes that are on the wall in the classroom. SECURITY INCIDENTS: Any persons entering the school must do so through reception. At reception there is a signing in book any visitors to the school must sign in here. The visitor must indicate time of arrival, name, reason for visit, and if necessary provide i. d. All visitors are required to wear an i. d badge, and must sign out as they depart. If i noticed any unidentified people on the school premises i would challenge them immediately, and report to the teacher or head my concerns. All door are secure so people cannot enter from outside but they can be opened easily from the inside in the event of emergencies such as a fire. Should there be a security alert within the school i would follow the instructions of the person in charge and ensure all children are in the classroom, where a register would be taken. I would assist in keepin children calm and keeping them in the classroom. nobody would be allowed to enter or leave the building until the head gave permission. MISSING CHILDREN OR YOUNG PEOPLE.. If i realised a child was missing i would report to the teacher in charge immediately, i would state where and when i last seen the child. I would assist in keeping the children calm and gathering all the children together whilst a search was organised. I would follow instructions from the teacher in charge and assist in the search for the missing child if i was required to do so. The school would be put on lockdown and no one would be allowed to enter or leave the building. If the child was not found on the premises the childs parents/guardians and the police would be contacted.

Utilization of Satellite Information to Screen Carbon...

Article 1 Overview: This study investigated the utilization of satellite information to screen carbon monoxide (CO) and particulate matter (PM) in Northern Thailand throughout the dry season when woodland flames are known to be a vital reason for air contamination. Satellite information, incorporating Measurement of Pollution in the Troposphere (MOPITT) CO, Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer vaporized optical profundity (MODIS AOD), and MODIS fire hotspots, were examined with air contamination information measured at nine programmed air quality overseeing stations in the study range for February–April months of 2008–2010. The association examination indicated that every day CO and PM with size beneath 10 ÃŽ ¼m (Pm10) were connected with the woodland fire hotspot include, particularly the country regions with the most extreme relationship coefficient (R) of 0.59 for CO and 0.65 for Pm10. The correspondences between MODIS AOD and Pm10, between MOPITT CO and CO, and betwe en MODIS AOD and MOPITT CO were additionally dissected, affirming the companionship between these variables. Two backwoods fire scenes were chosen, and the scattering of contamination tufts was mulled over utilizing the MOPITT CO downright segment and MODIS AOD information, together with the surface wind vectors. The outcomes demonstrated consistency between the crest scatterings, areas of thick hotspots, ground checking information, and common winds. The satellite information were indicated to be