Paulo Coelho
Jaime Santana & Hannah Schmid
The Alchemist and The Witch of Portobello
Table of Contents:
Author Biography
The Alchemist Overview
The Witch of Portobello Overview
Author Style Elements Identification and Overview
Critical Reads
Multiple-Choice Quiz
Works Cited
Extra Links
Author Biography:
Paulo Coelho was born in 1957 to a middle class family, son to an engineer. He later came to reject his Jesuit religion due to its strict obligations, while at the same time desiring to become a writer. Coelho rebelled against his parents’ future, not literature-oriented, desires for him, causing them to put him in a psychiatric hospital. From these experiences he wrote Veronika Decides to Die . Coelho lived the hippie experience to its full extent, promoting freedom. He became a lyricist, writing numerous songs for a man named Raul Seixas. Together, they become part of a capitalist society that defended their individual rights, also writing a comic strip “Kring-ha” calling for more freedom. These actions put him in prison, and upon his release he was seized and tortured at a military torture center where he acted as a mad to be released. After this gruesome experience at twenty-six years old, Coelho “decided that he had enough experience of ‘life’ and wanted to be ‘normal’” (Official 1). In his normalcy, Coelho married and moved to
Coelho wrote his books based on life experiences. From his personal trip on the Road to
Paulo Coelho often referred to as the “alchemist of words” is “one of the most influential authors writing today” (Paulo 1). Like the characters of his novels, he too has continued to follow a dream in a quest for fulfillment, even though presented with struggles (Author 1). His books have been translated in more than 56 languages to reach audiences worldwide. Coelho’s influential books have caused people to search deeply within themselves to find a greater understanding. Coelho’s “success is not limited to his books, but extends into other cultural and social areas” (Official 4). His works are widely accepted, as he continues to be a living inspiration to many.
The Alchemist Overview:
The Alchemist begins with
His precious stones become of great use to him when he not only meets the love of his life, but stops an ambush at the oasis. By doing so, the alchemist sends for him and they continue the journey together. He is taught a myriad of tricks while traveling with him such as how to transform himself into the wind. The duo travel through the desert with great hardship as they are constantly aware of the peril of an attack. When
The Witch of Portobello Overview:
Paulo Coelho’s The Witch of Portobello is an intriguing novel that focuses much detail on the inner workings of the human soul and its relationship to the movement and well-being of the body. He begins the tale with Athena, a woman of Romanian descent who initially lives in Transylvania, but is later adopted and moved to
Coelho uses a great source of themes and motifs without the novel that helps to build a stronger plotline. He concentrates of the theme of self-discovery, which is a common theme in his other novels, as well. Athena serves as a vehicle for the other characters to see deeper into themselves by finding things out they never knew to be true. She is a woman before her time fighting for equal rights. Most women in her time who had any type of prestige in society would be considered a “witch”. The chief recurring themes throughout the novel are love, the re-emergence of the goddess religion, and the feminine face of God. When discussing religion, the speakers’ biases are apparent as favoring the Catholic Church over the general branch of Christianity. This could possibly be a reflection of Coelho, seeing as he is a Catholic himself. Coelho was able to tie in many elements from his other novels into The Witch of Portobello that would allow the reader to gain a more in-depth understanding of his message. By correlating elements from another work, he also creates a broader spectrum for the reader to relate to.
Author Style Elements:
*Narrative (3rd person omniscient): One witnesses the actions of all the characters in the novel.
Example: “They were surrounded by gigantic dunes, and the boy looked at
the alchemist to see whether he had sensed anything. But he appeared to
be unaware of any danger. Five minutes later, the boy saw two horsemen
waiting ahead of them.” (Alchemist 138)
*Self-discovery: act or process of achieving understanding or knowledge of oneself.
Example: “Everything is at once so simple and so complicated! It’s simple
because all it takes is change of attitude: I’m not going to look for
happiness anymore.” (Witch 129)
*Internal monologue: Exposes the thoughts and inner beliefs of the characters within the story.
Example: “All things are one.” (Alchemist 135)
*Religion and spirituality: Constant references to the relationship between the body and the soul, and who or what controls it.
Example: It's a very long time since they've allowed (Jesus Christ) in there [the Church]". (Witch 100)
*Diction: He uses complex-compound sentences with sophisticated messages and word choice. There is a scarce amount of colloquialism. Coelho uses references to the Bible, Qur’an, and Egyptian mythology
Example: “It’s in the Bible. The same book that taught me about Urim and
Thummim. These stones were the only form of divination permitted by
God. “ (Alchemist 69)
Critical Reads:
*Archetypal
Knowing one’s true ability and having the satisfaction of being comfortable with their own competence is one of the most important stages of maturity in a person’s life. The confidence gained from this makes reaching such a pinnacle exceptionally significant to human beings. It encourages one to thrive until he or she reaches a point in their life when they understand how they internally they stand in a particular situation. Paulo Coelho is able to embrace this need of self-exploration and discovery in two of his major works, The Witch of Portobello and The Alchemist. Within these two novels are the common themes of the path to self-discovery, the importance of mentors and one’s influence on others. Though they share similar motifs and symbols within their storylines, Coelho’s works differ greatly in his use of characterization.
Coelho, a noteworthy Brazilian author, begins all of his tales by focusing on the trials and tribulations of a single protagonist. Though they initially appear to be flat characters with straightforward processes, the reader soon learns that this character will go through myriads of developmental phases in order to ultimately reach their goal of finding who they truly are. In The Alchemist, Coelho uses Santiago a shepherd farmer who is told in his dream to seek treasure and confirms that this is a “legitimate” search by consulting with gypsies. His profession being an obvious allusion to Jesus Christ is a prominent reference in the novel, though they are many to follow. Similarly in The Witch of Portobello, Coelho makes primitive references to Athena being the “feminine face of God”. By using both his protagonists as direct reflections of religious figures, he engages his audience to relate to the hardships they are about to face. It is to be argued whether or not his references are heretical or sacrilegious, yet he undeniably has great knowledge of Christianity as he mentions it frequently in both novels. He uses religion as a means to encourage Athena and Santiago to carry on with their travels. Athena begins to deviate more from religion than her counterpart Santiago who finds that his faith becomes stronger towards the end of the book. Nonetheless, Coelho uses their newfound beliefs and compares them back to how they were at the beginning of their respective novel. Athena began a religious zealot and progressively strayed away from Catholicism; Santiago, however, ultimately found his “treasure” in a church. The philosophy that omens are made to aid humans from the “beyond” proves their leniency towards a higher being. Simply by observing this transformation, the reader is exposed to the development of the characters.
The use of mentors throughout the novels is one of Coelho’s most distinguishing attributes to his stories. Not only do they serve as guides, but counselors and teachers to help the protagonist as well as the reader see what the “bigger picture” is in life. Specifically in The Witch of Portobello, Athena seeks out a number of people who have an impact on her life respective to their introduction into the story. The first is her adoptive mother who understands that they only way Athena will ever succeed in life is if she understands her roots and makes her own path. Following the mother’s introduction is: a journalist, a priest, a calligraphy teacher, and an actress. By consulting with each one separately and at a different period in her life, she gains insight to how the world she lives in operates. Santiago is not exposed to as many townspeople seeing that he travels alone in the desert until he stumbles upon an Englishman who is looking for an alchemist. He becomes curious of what it is that an alchemist is capable of and if he will ever be able to complete such feats. Upon his journey he meets the love of his life, Fatima. She becomes the most influential person in his life, eventually persuading him to leave all he has gained behind in the quest for love. Both Fatima and the Englishman help Santiago to overcome his apprehension of conquest while still allowing him freedom of choice. Without these significant characters, both Santiago and Athena would be greatly lost in their struggle towards personal and spiritual enlightenment.
The effect that both Athena and Santiago have on their friends (or acquaintances) is a key component to the plot. Without this depiction, the reader would not be able to witness the effects of their changes. Though Santiago’s efforts were admirable, he did not affect nearly as many people as Athena did. Their nature of desires impinges on the way other views their own wishes and means of achieving such. Athena was able to change the way entire towns went about their daily routines simply by suggesting a meditative and spiritual exercise before work each morning. Understandably, people were fearful what this would be do to the production within their companies but she held steadfast in what she believed would properly solve the anxiousness of society. She refused to succumb to the pressures others put on her and in turn ended up influencing more people than she had ever intended. Santiago had similar results when he fervently practiced his skills so that he might impress the alchemist and learn his ways. Despite all the factors working against him and destining him to fail, he was able to rally. Coelho uses such strong characters to portray that anything is possible if the proper amount of effort is put into something. Though Athena and Santiago had entirely different motives and desires, they paralleled each other in regards to their determination and drive.
Paulo Coelho is one of the more successful writers in the modern time period by actively portraying characters and situations connected to his readers’ lives. He continues to publish novels focusing on self-discovery via the help of mentors and therefore resulting in inspiring others to follow in their footsteps. Coelho ingeniously incorporates a mass amount of Biblical allusions, metaphors, imagery, paradoxes and symbolism in his writing. By combining all of these literary elements, his works become relevant and useful to the reader’s own view of life. Coelho uses strong protagonists, as well as comparably weak obstacles to convey his message. By doing so, he encourages readers to rise up to challenges in their life and fight for what they believe is right. He is an empowering novelist whose general objective is to ensure mankind’s innate ability to thrive.
*Psychoanalytic
It is impossible to discover one’s greater meaning in life without taking initiative to act on the powerful force of intuition. Individually searching for a deeper understanding and purpose are essential to spiritual development, rather than simply following the rules of an institution and relying on a single individual to take responsibility for one’s actions. Paulo Coelho, a devout Catholic man, expresses his religious beliefs and the great understanding and wisdom involved in finding oneself. In Coelho’s works, the characters Santiago of The Alchemist and Athena of The Witch of Portobello seek their purpose in life through their spiritual calling. Analyzing these texts with a psychoanalytical criticism allows one to see, through the characters’ sexual symbols, dreams, and repressed feelings, and through the author’s beliefs, the underlying meaning of reaching spiritual understanding.
Through a psychological outlook of Coelho’s works, evidence of sexual symbols, dreams, and repressed feelings are analyzed. Both books deal with psychoanalysis in the sense that it is dream interpretation. Santiago of The Alchemist experiences a recurrent dream in which he is to seek treasure; upon finding that “dreams are the language of God” spoken “in the language of the soul, it is only [Santiago] who can understand” and discover what his Persona Legend, his meaning in life, is (The Alchemist 13). Only upon his own understanding can Santiago connect to a greater force, the Soul of the World, in which one soul unites all. Athena, the Witch of Portobello, experiences strong spiritual callings as a child, seeing auras of figures in white and “the Divine Light” through her ancient adopted tradition of soulful dancing (The Witch of Portobello 101). As Santiago follows his Personal Legend, Athena also pursues a similar “journey” to discover who she is and what she believes.
In a close analysis of both texts, sexual symbols are present which are in a way pursued due to the characters’ repressed and conscious feelings. Athena, in search for her spirituality, feels a void in which “her silence [is] the blank space between the words,” the space where she feels confused and becomes distracted (84). In this search for her spirituality and her birth mother, Athena comes in contact with a great power which she calls “The Mother” that provides the comfort and security she sought out. The Mother, reached through music and dancing, allows her to feel a connection with the inner soul and nature. This immense spiritual connection she feels causes her to come in touch with her Hagia Sofia, the universal wisdom, her deeply spiritual self, which she “transforms” into to reach others. Athena seems to fulfill her own repressed desires of love through her spiritual counterparts. In The Alchemist, the Soul of the World seems to provide Santiago with the same assuredness as the Mother provides for Athena. Taught to him by the King of Salem, “the Soul of the World is nourished by people’s happiness. And also by unhappiness […] To realize one’s destiny is a person’s only real obligation. All things are one” (The Alchemist 22). Through his journey, Santiago comes to find that everything is connected; everyone has a different Personal Legend, but there is a universal language that connects all. Santiago’s has a union with nature as does Athena, which is apparent when he is able to turn himself into wind towards the end of his journey. His ability to join with the soul of nature came from his understanding that the Soul of the World is “a part of the Soul of God,” and “the Soul of God [is] his own soul, […] allowing him to perform miracles” (152). Understanding the glory of God is the ultimate understanding that Santiago reaches, allowing him to come completely in touch with his spiritual self.
While Athena finds the spiritual guidance that she intends to find, Santiago on his journey to obtain worldly treasure ends up discovering wonders within himself and a spiritual understanding that even he is not aware he had the potential to possess. Some greater spiritual power called both of these individuals to discover their purpose in life. This underlying meaning, which a psychoanalytical approach analyzes, “stems” from Coelho’s own philosophies on life. Coelho’s philosophical views are evident throughout the entirety of both The Alchemist and The Witch of Portobello. Like the characters of his novels, Coelho has followed a dream in a quest for fulfillment. His own dream, to be a writer was also accompanied by struggles (Author 1). His greater purpose for both novels is evident in the readers’ contemplation of themselves and their destiny, of finding that spiritual power and ability that Santiago and Athena experience.
*Reader-Response:
-Causes the reader to look internally:
-Questions their morals
-Challenges their beliefs
-Tests their loyalties
Ex: “The boy continued to listen to his
heart as they crossed the desert. He
came to understand its dodges and
tricks, and to accept it as it was.”
(Alchemist 129)
-Exposes them to a fantasy world
-Gives insight to how mankind is able to better connect with itself
-Reflection on how readers conduct themselves
*Historical:
-The “feminist side” of God in The Witch of Portobello, possibly the softer, more sensitive side
-Ex. Athena refers to a greater existence as “The Mother”
-“I asked the mother to inspire me, to tell me what to do…” (p. 101)
-The hippie movement that Coelho took part in—possibly allowed Coelho to have a free and open mind as reflected in The Witch of Portobello
-Ex. The connection of dance and music to a greater being
-“…through dance we can enter a trancelike state that helps us to see a light […but] also through anything that allows us to focus our attention and to separate body from spirit. Like yoga or prayer of Buddhist meditation” (p. 98).
-Teachings of the Jesuits; religion’s obligatory nature
-Ex. “He had to choose between something he had become accustomed to and something he wanted to have” (The Alchemist 27); people become accustomed to their religious practices and lose sight of what they truly believe and desire.
*Biographical
-“Paulo came to detest the obligatory nature of religious practice” from his Jesuit background. Coelho travelled to world learning of religion upon which he formed his values/beliefs that are evident throughout his books
-Ex. “When you really want something, the universe always conspires in your favor” (The Alchemist 36); one of the many lessons of Coelho.
-Coelho made a pilgrimage to St. James of Compost Ella (the Road to Santiago)
-documented this experience in his book The Pilgrimage
-Santiago is the name of the main character, the boy, in The Alchemist
-Coelho worked in a theatre that was a “hotbed of immorality”
-Ex. In The Witch of Portobello, Athena instructed theatre actors in the spiritual finding of oneself; others viewed this with caution; “I’m (Athena ) asking you to cease being human and to transform yourselves into something you don’t know” (p. 161) ß part of the spiritual session Athena taught to the actors/actresses of the theatre
-Coelho had a vision in which a man appeared to him and two months later he met the same man with whom he exchanged views and experiences; this man suggested he return to Catholicism and walk the Road to Santiago which is the basis for one of Coelho’s books
-This is like both The Alchemist and The Witch of Portobello. The boy of The Alchemist meets people in his journey who know information about him before his discloses it. The people who meet Athena are searching for a spiritual connection and find it through her.
-1998-Coelho wrote The Alchemist which reflected his 11 years of studying alchemy and black magic
-The universal language Coelho speaks of in the Alchemist and the spiritual connections he speaks of in The Witch of Portobello relate to Coelho’s ability to unite so many cultures through “the power of language” by translating his books in many different languages.
- “Like them (Coelho’s protagonist of his books), he has followed a dream in a quest for fulfillment. His own dream, to be a writer, met with frustration throughout much of his early adult life […] ‘I always knew,’ he says, ‘that my Personal Legend, to use a term from alchemy, was to write’” (Author 1).
Quiz:
1. The author's perspective on universal truth is that it:
A) is absolute, regardless of situation
B) varies from person to person depending on experience
C) is not the way to go
D) not dependable
E) is whatever gets one out of a bad situation
2. What is the main purpose conveyed in The Alchemist?
A) Keep one’s companions close at hand in times of need.
B) Disregard spirituality.
C) To follow one’s dream (Personal Legend) / listen to one’s heart.
D) Search for the physical treasure.
E) The truth will set you free.
3. Which best describes the meaning of a Personal Legend?
A) The purpose of another person’s life, not one’s own purpose.
B) To give up one’s dream for love.
C) To remain stagnant.
D) The fate that controls an individual’s life.
E) One’s destiny.
4. How are omens, prophetic signs, related to finding one’s Personal Legend?
A) One needs to listen to the omens to guide one to his/her destiny.
B) Omens should be ignored.
C) Omens distract one from his/her Personal Legend.
D) The omens are difficult to understand.
E) allow the omens to make every decision, don’t rely upon your own decisions.
5. “...everyone believes the world’s greatest lie...we lose control of what’s happening to us, and our lives becomes controlled by fate” (The Alchemist 18). How does fate differ from following one’s “Personal Legend”?
A) One’s Personal Legend is always sought out.
B) Fate cannot be changed; one can take control of his/her destiny and make it happen.
C) Fate is a choice; destiny is uncontrollable.
D) Fate means taking initiative of one’s life.
E) The two do not differ. Fate = Destiny.
6. What is the significance of the ending of The Alchemist that the treasure Santiago searches for is where his journey begins, at his home?
A) Foolishness makes people blind.
B) The purpose of the novel that the treasure lies within our hearts.
C) One must experience struggles before obtaining treasure.
D) Santiago, the main character, never found his treasure within.
E) Disrespecting God’s omens.
7. What are Coelho’s religious views?
A) He went against the church’s obligatory nature and regulations.
B) It is difficult to understand.
C) Follow the church’s teaching by the book.
D) We should rely on one religious leader and not question our beliefs.
E) Spirituality is useless.
8. Are Coelho’s experiences are used as the basis for his novels?
A) Yes.
B) No.
C) Coelho did not have many experiences in his lifetime.
D) Coelho’s experiences are not coherent with his novels.
E) Coelho only writes biographies.
9. In his books, Coelho has spoken of what type of greater existence?
A) Athena, of The Witch of Portobello believes she is God.
B) Santiago, of The Alchemist turns to a feminine God.
C) A nonexistent greater being.
D) Male sovereignty in all spiritual beings.
E) A feminine side of God.
10. Which personal experience has Coelho used in his novels?
A) His study of witches.
B) His journey to the Egyptian pyramids to find treasure.
C) His pilgrimage on the Road to Santiago.
D) His divorce with his first wife.
E) Coelho does not use his experiences in his writing.
11. Coelho’s view on a universal language of the world is:
A) Everyone speaks a different language.
B) No one can understand each other.
C) Everyone has a universal language.
D) Everyone understands the language right away.
E) The universal language can not be found until in heaven.
12. Coelho’s works have been read:
A) by few people.
B) only in his homeland of Brazil.
C) only in the United States.
D) internationally.
E) in Portuguese.
13. Paulo Coelho:
A) is one of the most influential authors of the present century.
B) is detested by all who read his books.
C) believes that the treasure is found within.
D) died on his journey to find his treasure.
E) Both A and C
14) The author is of what descent?
a. Portugese
b. Italian
c. Brazilian
d. Chilean
15) In what countries do The Alchemist and The Witch of Portobello take place
respectively?
e. Egypt and Lebanon
f. Niger and Transylvania
g. Kenya and Portugal
h. Greece and Turkey
16) In The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho significantly uses what device?
a. Monologue
b. Onomatopeia
c. Euphemism
d. Subplot
17) Prior to seeking his “Personal Legend” what was Santiago’s profession?
a. Merchant
b. Blacksmith
c. Priest
d. Shepherd
18) The verisimilitude that Athena was mentally ill is questioned throughout the novel, but it becomes apparent that she finds her “escape” through:
a. Writing
b. Dance
c. Witchcraft
d. Reading
19) What type of geographical location do Santiago and the Englishman find the alchemist at?
a. Mountain summit
b. Deserted island
c. Rainforest
d. Oasis
20) Which of these themes is most apparent in Coelho’s works?
a. Struggle of the working class
b. Path to self-discovery
c. Need for appreciation
d. Attempt at fame and fortune
21) What major event in history would Athena most likely relate to?
a. Emancipiation Proclamation
b. Feminist Movement of the 1970’s
c. Civil War
d. World War I
Works Cited
Adler, Mortimer J. and Charles Van Doren. How to Read a Book. Touchstone,
1972.
Anderson, Sherry Ruth. The Feminine Face of God: The Unfolding of the Sacred
in Women. Bantam, 1992.
Arias, Juan. Paulo Coelho. Thorsons, 2001.
“Author Biography: Paulo Coelho.” BookBrowse. 23 March 2004. 3 pars. 9 April 2008 <http://www.bookbrowse.com/biographies/index.cfm?author_number=987>.
Coelho, Paulo. The Alchemist. New York: HarperOne, 1993.
Coelho, Paulo. The Witch of Portobello. New York: Harper Collins Publishers,
2007.
Harper Academic. 18 March 2003. Harper San Francisco. 9 April 2008 < . harperacademic.com/catalog/instructors_guide_xml.asp?isbn=0062502182>.
Harper Collins. Ed. Harper Collins Publishers. 2008. Harper Collins. 3 April 2008 < http://www.harpercollins.com/books/9780061338809/The_Witch_of_Portobello/index.aspx>.
Hassapi, Anna. “The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho.” Book Reviews. 2005. P. 1-2. 3 April 2008 < http://bookreviews.nabou.com/reviews/thealchemist2.html>.
Literary Criticism: An Overview of Approaches. Ed. Skylar Hamilton Burris. 1999. 7 April 2008 <http://www.literatureclassics.com/ancientpaths/litcrit.html #historical>.
Madden, Frank. Exploring Literature: Writing and Arguing About Fiction, Poetry,
Drama and the Essay. New York: Pearson & Longman, 2007.
Murphy, J. “Paulo Coelho.” Squidoo. 7 February 2008. P. 1-2. 3 April 2008 <http://www.squidoo.com/paulocoelho>.
Official Site Paulo Coelho. Ed. Paulo Coelho. 9 April 2008. Paulo Coelho. 9 April 2008 < >.
“Paulo Coelho Biography: Famous Brazilian Lyricist and Novelist.” Biographies of Business Leaders and Motivational Experts: Masters of the Business World. 9 pars. 9 April 2008 <>.
“Paulo Coelho Quotations.” Starstuffs Collection of Inspirational Sayings and Quotes. 29 October 2007. P. 1-6. 9 April 2008 < _sayings/paulo_coelho.htm>.
Safier, Fannie. Adventures in English Literature: Athena Edition. Austin: Harcourt
Brace & Company, 1989.
Think Arete. Ed. Brian Johnson. 2008. Think Arete. 8 April 2008 <http://www. thinkarete.com/quotes/by_teacher/paulo_coelho>.
Tompkins, Jane P. Reader-Response Criticism: From Formalism to Post-
Structuralism. The John Hopkins University Press, 1980.
Extra Links
http://flickr.com/
http://go.hrw.com/atlas/norm_htm/world.htm
http://www.transylvania.be/
http://www.gracecathedral.org/enrichment/interviews/int_19980324.shtml
http://www.snowcrest.net/turningpoint/interpdance.html
http://www.sauguscenturions.com/maghakian/authorprojects.html