First, Santiago’s parents wanted him to become priest but he always wanted to travel. The only reason Santiago became a shepherd was to have the opportunity to travel. As a shepherd Santiago was always on a journey travelling through southern Spain. The theme journey is present throughout the whole book. For example, Santiago embarks on an even longer journey as he has to cross the Sahara Desert to the pyramids in Egypt, where his treasure is buried. After getting beaten up by the thieves in the pyramids, one of the thieves makes Santiago realize that the treasure all along was buried back in Spain. Where he first had the dream, under the sycamore tree, in the old abandoned church. Fear is another theme used multiple times in The Alchemist.
Fear is an emotion that acts as an obstacle to a happy and fulfilled life. Santiago first encountered fear by leaving everything behind in order to pursue his dream. For instance, to embark on his journey to Egypt Santiago need to sell his sheep for money to travel. A character who experiences fear is the crystal merchant. For example, he wants to make the pilgrimage to mecca required by every Muslim, however he fears that once he has made the trip he will have nothing to live for. Lastly, Santiago experiences the spiritual fear that he will fail to turn himself into the wind when the Alchemist forces him to