Alchemist Persuasive Essay

Fear, it is a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined. It has the capability to prevent people from pursuing their dreams. This is seen in the case of the crystal merchant, Santiago, and the camel driver. These characters are all from the story, The Alchemist. Some of my personal experience will also used to justify. There are many examples that argue that fear is a challenge to those who wish to fulfill their dreams in the story. The crystal merchant from Tangier is a victim of fear. He only wishes to journey to Mecca to fulfill his religious duty of completing the hajj at least once. He is scared that he will have no more to live for after he completes the pilgrimage to Mecca. He remains unhappy and unsatisfied with his failing business. In the book, he says "I'm afraid that if my dream is realized, I'll have no reason to go on living" on page 55. The difference between these two men is the way they approached fears. Some central moments in the story are when Santiago faces fear in his beginning stages and at the desert oasis. After being duped by the young charlatan that had pretended to be his friend and guide that had stolen all of his money, Santiago was unsure of whether continue on the journey which would probably lead to more treacherous events. He had this questioning mood because he was afraid that he would lose everything. On page 41, Santiago consults the two precious stones that the "King of Salem" had given him. They remind Santiago of his dream and he continues onto Tangier. In the desert oasis, Santiago happens across a tribal war. It is directly on the path to the Pyramids. So he had to cross it if he wanted to fulfill his dream, and if he chose not to, his dream could possibly never be fulfilled since these conflicts tended to span over years. Thus hindering his chances of ever returning to Andalusia with some sort of treasure. Santiago stated '"My heart is a traitor"... "It