The Englishman tells Santiago what he’s read: there is an individual language that every living thing speaks, although it is spoken without words, a language of action propelled by emotion: the same lesson Santiago learned from his sheep, and his experiences in Tarifa. Although Santiago does not understand who the Alchemist is, he does understand desire, and he understands that the Englishman is expressing it in his knowledge of alchemy and the universe. At the caravan site, the Englishman begins to explain to Santiago the importance of knowing that nothing is a coincidence. However, Santiago already knows the lessons the Englishman is attempting to teach him.“The boy knew what he was going to describe, though: the mysterious chain that links one thing to another, the same chain that caused him to become a shepherd, that had caused his recurring dream, that had brought him to a city near Africa, to find a king, and to be robbed in order to meet a crystal merchant.” The caravan trip shows Santiago more of the universal language. Each person following the caravan is headed towards the same compass point, the same destination, joined by hunger, fear, and yearning: be it for travel, for refuge, or for those they love and miss. If Santiago was not able to adapt to the harsh conditions in the desert, of the caravan trip itself, he would not have reached Al-Fayoum: he would not have …show more content…
His first encounter with the Alchemist shows him that he has been correct to follow the path of his Personal Legend. Although the information taught to him over his travels is confusing to Santiago, he believes it, and changes his thinking understand more of the world. With his understanding of the universal language, of the signs and signals, Santiago evades death. The Alchemist begins meeting with Santiago, teaching him more about the Soul of the World, saying, “The wise men understood that this natural world is only an image and a copy of paradise. The existence of this world is simply a guarantee that there exists a world that is perfect. God created the world so that, through its visible objects, men could understand his spiritual teachings and the marvels of his