Notably, Santiago is born with an instinctual love for travel and he is naturally curious and passionate in his situations. Santiago’s parents vie for their son to be an educated priest so he can be a source of pride in their village but “ever since he had been a child, he wanted to know the world, and this was much more important to him than knowing God and learning about man’s sins”(Coelho 8). Family honour is important to Santiago’s parents yet he still finds knowledge of the world more essential than the struggle for food and a place to live. Santiago, unlike his father, chooses to harness and propel his dreams for exploration. This is necessary to complete his fate and establish him as an ambitious and willful character.
In Santiago’s travels, there are numerous instances linked with fate that prevent him from straying away from his goal, even in despair. Each time Santiago’s resolve is threatened, an omen mysteriously appears that strengthens his resolve. At one time, the author describes how Santiago is “in the empty marketplace, without a cent to his name…but the stones were proof he had met with a king”(Coelho 41). The omens occur in time to save Santiago and as Coelho insists, they are a result of the universe conspiring to help him fulfill his Personal Legend. The omens remind Santiago of his destiny, they help him rediscover himself, his resolution, and his strength.
Remarkably, whenever Santiago has an inner revelation, a character is revealed and this character reasserts his fate and brings him closer to his Legend. Santiago realizes that, “If he had died tomorrow, it would be because God was not willing to change the future”(Coelho 108). Santiago finds self-understanding. He comprehends the idea of living each day in connection with the world because “to die the next day, is no worse than dying any other day because everything depends on one word: “Maktub”(Coelho 108). Santiago questions the crystal merchant what “Maktub” means and referring to fate, the merchant replies with, “It is written”(Coelho 59). All these dynamic characters are put in Santiago’s path because, as the driver says, the history of the world is written “by the same hand”(Coelho 76). These characters cause an inner change within Santiago.
Several times, Santiago undergoes metamorphosis and change, providing him with cumulative spiritual gold that he is fated to attain. Santiago leaves the merchant, reflecting on his sheep and his life as a shepherd. He realizes that “there are probably other things in the world that the sheep can’t teach me…maybe it wasn’t that they were teaching me, but that I was learning from them”(Coelho 58). Santiago’s starts to appreciate how his former life, present, and future combine to teach him about life. Although Santiago has the means to go back to his comfortable life with the sheep, he desires his Legend. Santiago is provided with means to change his life yet his fate leads him to his Legend. Santiago’s changes show character development and a maturing mind.
As Santiago nears his fate, he comes to an oasis where he meets Fatima, the woman who brings about his ultimate transformation. With Fatima, Santiago experiences the Soul of the World and learns “the most important part of the language that all the world spoke…It was love”(Coelho 92). Santiago’s attempts at understanding the Soul of the World yield small fruit but his encounter with Fatima provides him with self-understanding. He sees the simplicity and beauty of the world and as his dream predicts, he is rewarded with treasure for his persistence. Once more, Santiago’s fate brings him to unexpected treasures.
Santiago’s journey to find a hidden treasure is the consequence of will and ultimately, fate. Using Coelho’s novel, fate can be likened to a highway, leading to one destination. Freewill and choices are lanes and branches in that highway, some leading out, but always detouring back to that same highway of fate. All lanes give control and options of how one reaches the destination and treasure. Ultimately, one hand and one master builder pave the highway of fate. Fate conquers freewill in this novel because freewill is an oxymoron. ‘Will’ does not permit ultimate freedom and it is bound by purpose, yet freedom describes unlimited choices and lack of restraint from purposes such as intent. Thus, fate is the commanding theme in this novel and Santiago’s freewill, though potent, is unanimously dominated by it.
Word Count: 797 Words
