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Short Essay: Living the Dream

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Short Essay: Living the Dream
English Period 4 January 7, 2012

Living the Dream

“It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.” (Paulo Coelho) This is what a young boy, Santiago bases his life off of. He is determined that no matter what, he will find his personal legend, a dream that everyone has but only a select few will ever find . In this book, The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho, Santiago gives up everything to find his personal legend, all of his sheep, money, and his life. By following his dream he realizes that the outcome is better than what he had suspected in the beginning, since he finds his one true love and his very own personal legend. This novel contains statements about dedication, motivation, and fate that could pertain to people anywhere in the world. Without dedication one cannot go far in life. This is a noble truth in the clearest sense. Santiago on the other hand, has more than enough dedication to just find his personal legend. His dedication is truly tested multiple times throughout this novel. For instance, he is robbed more than twice of all his money on his journey to his personal legend. Most people would likely have quit trying after the first time, but not Santiago. Also, due to the fact that he got robbed, he is forced to work in a crystal shop for the next eleven months; this almost forces him to stop searching for his legend because he thinks the journey will be too difficult. His dedication is also shown when he realized that his legend wasn’t even at the pyramids of Egypt but back at the abandon church where he had first heard about personal legends. This forces him to take the long treacherous journey all the way back to his home town. Another novel that also shows great dedication is the book The Absolutely True Dairy of a Part-Time India. Dedication is shown throughout the book because a local Indian boy, Junior, wants to go to an all white school. No one in his family or town is supportive of his

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