Why I Made My Students Read The Alchemist

If you have not yet read The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo, I do not know what you are doing with your life! This phenomenal book has the power to change your life if you allow it! I discovered this gem in 2006 and refer to it frequently. In its simplicity, it is deeply profound. It inspires a return to our true selves and to our dream life that we have left behind in pursuit of something more stable and sensible...and probably boring! What happened to following the dreams of our youth? What thief came along and stole our dreams? When you travel alongside Santiago, you may find yourself reclaiming your dreams as you and he pursue his Personal Legend.



The Alchemist is the story of a young shepherd who decides to follow his dream to see the Pyramids. Being a shepherd allows him the luxury to travel freely. He meets several characters along the way but each one is important to his journey. Each character has an important role to play in teaching him something about himself or about the journey.  How often do we forget to notice the people who travel with us - and how often do we forget to notice that there are lessons that we could never have learned without the help of another? How many lessons have I learned from the students I've met in my 14 years as an educator? How many babies have taught me a deeper theology than all of the books in the library?

This story is bracketed by a prologue and an epilogue which provide meaningful keys to understanding the shepherd's story. The prologue includes a retelling of the myth of Narcissus as understood by the Alchemist. This window into the Alchemist's soul sets a tone for the rest of the book. My take on the prologue is that one must never be so self absorbed as to fail to SEE (really see, notice, pay attention to) the beauty in all creation. The epilogue confirms for the reader that though the last line of the story indicates that Santiago knows where his treasure is, we still want to know that he actually finds it. In the last line of the epilogue, he whispers on the wind that he will return to the woman he loves. (And I swoon!)

If I had to select just one quote from this awesome book that explains why I made my students read The Alchemist, it would be from page 76 of the HarperOne edition: "We are afraid of losing what we have, whether it's our life or our possessions and property. But this fear evaporates when we understand that our life stories and the history of the world were written by the same hand." Regardless of what else they may learn from me over the course of our time together, if they can learn and grasp that we are part of time and eternity, then they will have what they need to succeed in life. Although I would love to see them all earn an A in my classes, there is something bigger than an A in Miss Jones' class. Although I want to see them go off to college and become productive citizens (smile), there is something bigger than that as well. I want them to be fearless when it comes to losing "things" that can be recovered. I want them to live fearlessly and to pursue their Personal Legends with the confidence that the Soul of the World knows and waits for them. I want them to learn to read the omens and learn the lessons along the way. Most importantly, I want them to find the treasure that lies within them, for that is the one thing that no one can take away from them. I want them to always remember that though I am a clearly confessing Christian, I entrust them to God's care and grant them the combined blessing of Amen and Maktub!