The Alchemist Overview

The Alchemist is an allegorical novel published in 1988 by Paulo Coelho. After an initial lukewarm reception, it became a worldwide bestseller, with more than 65 million copies sold.   Fast Facts: The Alchemist Title: The AlchemistAuthor: Paulo CoelhoPublisher:  Rocco, an obscure Brazilian publishing houseYear Published: 1988Genre: AllegoricalType of Work: NovelOriginal Language: PortugueseThemes: Personal Legend, pantheism, fear, omens, biblical metaphorsCharacters: Santiago, the Englishman, Melchizedek, the crystal merchant, Fatima, the alchemist  Notable Adaptations: An illustrated version with artwork provided by Moebius, a graphic novel produced in 2010.Fun Fact: Coelho wrote The Alchemist in two weeks, and, after one year, the publisher gave the rights back to Coelho, who felt that he had to heal from the setback, which led him to spend time in the Mojave desert. Plot Summary Santiago is a shepherd from Andalusia who, while resting in a church, dreams about pyramids and treasures. After having his dream interpreted by an old woman, and after learning the concept of â€Å"Personal Legends,† he sets out to find those pyramids. Significant stops in his journey include Tangier, where he works for a crystal merchant, and the oasis, where he falls in love with Fatima, a â€Å"desert woman,† and meets an alchemist. During his travels, he also gets acquainted with the concept of the â€Å"Soul of the World,† which makes all beings partake in the same spiritual essence. This allows him to turn into the wind while facing some captors. Once he finally reaches the pyramids, he learns that the treasure he’d been looking for was by the church where he was resting at the beginning of the novel. Major Characters Santiago. Santiago is a shepherd from Spain and the protagonist of the novel. While at first he is content with tending sheep, once he gets acquainted with the concept of Personal Legend, he sets out on an allegorical journey to pursue it. Melchizedek. Melchizedek is an old man who is actually a renowned biblical figure. He is a mentor to Santiago, as he educates him on the concept of â€Å"Personal Legend.† The Crystal Merchant. He owns a crystal shop in Tangier, and, even though he is aware of his own Personal Legend, he chooses not to pursue it, which leads to a life of regret.   The Englishman. The Englishman is a bookish individual who used to solely rely on books to pursue knowledge. He wants to learn alchemy and is looking for the alchemist who lives at the Al Fayoum oasis. Fatima. Fatima is a desert woman and Santiago’s love interest. She understands omens and is happy to let destiny run its course. The Alchemist. The titular character of the novel, he is a scimitar-wielding, black-clad 200-year-old man who lives at the oasis. He believes in learning by doing something rather than reading it. Major Themes The Personal Legend. Each individual has a Personal Legend, which is the only means by which to achieve a satisfying life. The universe is attuned to that, and it can achieve perfection if all of its creatures strive to achieve their own Personal Legend Pantheism. In The Alchemist, the Soul of the World represents the unity of nature. All living beings, are connected, and they have to undergo similar processes, as they share the same spiritual essence. Fear. Giving in to fear is what hinders the fulfillment of one’s own Personal Legend. As we see with the crystal merchant, who never heeded his calling to make a pilgrimage to Mecca out of fear, he ends up living in regret. Alchemy. Alchemy’s goal was to transform base metals into gold and to create a universal elixir. In the novel, alchemy serves as a metaphor of people’s journeys in pursuit of their own Personal Legend.   Literary Style The Alchemist is written in a simple prose that is heavy on the sensory details. It contains a lot of extremely quotable passages, which gives the book a â€Å"self-help† tone. About the Author Paulo Coelho is a Brazilian lyricist and novelist. He had a spiritual awakening upon walking the Road of Santiago de Compostela. He is the author of over 30 books between essays, autobiography, and fiction, and his work has been published in more than 170 countries and translated into more than 120 languages.

Public And External Stakeholders For Colleges And...

Introduction The demands from both the general public and external stakeholders for colleges and universities to be held more accountable to the students who walk through their doors are increasing. Researchers have documented compelling issues that impact student success at institutions of higher education. College enrollees are forced to make life-changing decisions throughout their four to six year journey in hopes of ensuring a bright future by successfully attaining a degree. Unfortunately, there are colleges and universities across the country that are failing to deliver sufficient support and students are finding it difficult to manage the challenges of academia and integrating into the social and cultural fabric of the campus environment. It is because of these challenges that institutions of higher education must convincingly make student support programs the catalyst for proactively addressing the particular needs of their students. Available data suggests that many students who enroll in higher education are underprepared, and that persistence and graduation rates at many institutions need to improve. The number of students who are ill prepared for postsecondary education is on the rise and as a result, less than 63 percent of students are completing their four-year degree within a six-year period (Bettinger, Boatman Long, 2013; Douglas Attewell, 2014). Public officials and others are dissatisfied with the National graduation completion rates andShow MoreRelatedThe School Of Education And Allied Professions867 Words   |  4 PagesIn 2011, the College of Education and Allied Professions welcomed the first fifteen member cohort of Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellows (WWTF) to the University of Dayton. Dr. Tom Lasley communicated the necessity for the WWTF program with one statement, â€Å"Dayton Public Schools are in crisis and the Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellows will learn the skills necessary to facilitate a change in direction.† Superintendent of Dayton Public Schools (DPS), Lori Ward, endorsed the WWTF program and provided FellowsRead MoreStakeholder Analysis : The Fox School Of Business Of Temple University1403 Words   |  6 PagesStakeholder Analysis An area that has received ample criticism has been educational business institutions, specifically MBA’s, having too much emphasis on profit maximization and bottom-line that benefit stockholders rather stakeholders. With the economy in a frenzy and so many financial firms in free fall, analysts, and even educators, wonder if the way business students are taught may have contributed to the economic crisis (Holland 2009). With all the accusations being made about the legitimacyRead MoreThe Network Of Public Relations1123 Words   |  5 PagesIn a way, theories are the backbone of Public Relations. There are many different functions of PR, and most, if not all of them are involving appealing to or interacting with and organizations publics. Be it employees, customers, or any other stakeholders, theories can be referenced applied to learn now about your publics and help achieve your goals. Northern Kentucky University as an organization attempting to begin a major transitio nal phase. The university is trying to attract new students, whileRead MoreBase On Stakeholder Participation And Tourism Sustainability Analysis1225 Words   |  5 Pages 5. Recommendations 5.1 Issues review Base on stakeholder participation and tourism sustainability analysis, the main problems current exists can be concluded. Initially, low level local business operators and residents’ participation in decision making process. Secondly, over commercialization and transformation of culture, architecture pollution. Then, in terms of environment, key concerns remain on fishery resource protection and cultivation, without compromise benefits of local residents. InRead MoreGrg Rubber Case Study Analysis Essay1706 Words   |  7 PagesGRG’s product has wider applications than other rubber recycling products. Rising prices and shortages of natural rubber, global environmental movements, an abundance of waste rubber to be recycled and various government policies (European College Polymer College, 2003) (Eurpoean Union, 2005) aimed at ‘green’ recycling of rubber products, highlight some of the advantages GRG holds. Moving into the future, issues to be addressed include; sharper focusing of strategy apropos of the company’s missionRead MoreCrisis Communication Management and Higher Education3171 Words   |  13 Pagesthis information to the key stakeholders (Ruff and Aziz, 2003) so that reforms can be devised. Crisis communication management is the art of planning how to communicate this information to the stakeholders so that they can remain calm to contribute positively in the corrective action. As evident from the definition of crisis, it is an undesired situation which may cause havoc; it is quite possible that the news of its occurrence may lead to serious shocks for the stakeholders. They may become desperateRead MoreUnderstanding And Influencing Educational Adaptability Among At Risk African American Students Essay1604 Words   |  7 Pages Understanding and Influencing Educational Adaptability Among At-Risk African American Students : The Role of Administration Edward A. Delgado Texas AM University – San Antonio I certify that I am the author of this paper titled Understanding and Influencing Educational Adaptability among At-Risk African American Students: The Role of Administration, and that any assistance I received in its preparation is fully acknowledged and disclosed in the paper. I have also citedRead MoreStrategic Planning For The University Of North Carolina At Pembroke ( Uncp )1242 Words   |  5 Pagesstrategies to recruit, train and retain a volunteer workforce. The following paper will identify an organization; describe its strategic planning process, and identifying leaders roles in the strategic planning process. Organization I work for the University of North Carolina at Pembroke (UNCP). My lab currently has three volunteers. One of the volunteers has been working with us since 2011. I finally plan to hire her this month. According to Levine and D’Agostino (2010), attracting volunteers withRead MoreEssay On Higher Education771 Words   |  4 Pagesmay not have otherwise been able to attend. For Financial Aid Administrators, it is not enough to simply get low-income students through the college doors of higher education, but ensuring that students are successfully persisting and progressing to the completion of their college degree. Previous studies support a connection between financial aid and college graduation. Framework and Model - (research question/hypothesis, data sources) This study utilizes a quantitative study design to study theRead MoreAn Investigation Into The Department Of African And Afro American935 Words   |  4 PagesIn 2010, the University of North Carolina (the â€Å"University†) launched an investigation into the department of African and Afro-American (AFAM) studies, in which several athletes were given special treatment in â€Å"paper classes† (Hartlyn and Andrews 1). In July of 2011, a student athlete, Michael McAdoo, filed a lawsuit against the University and the NCAA due to his ineligibility to play football. In the complaint, the student attached a paper for his Swahili 403 course in which evidence of plagiarism

Karl Marx (1954 words) Essay Example For Students

Karl Marx (1954 words) Essay Karl MarxKarl MarxKarl Marx was the greatest thinker andphilosopher of his time. His views on life and the social structure ofhis time revolutionized the way in which people think. He created an opportunityfor the lower class to rise Above the aristocrats and failed due to thecreation of the middle class. Despite this failure, he was still a greatpolitical leader and set the Basis of Communism in Russia. His life contributedto the way people think Today, and because of him people are more opento suggestion and are Quicker to create ideas on political issues. Karl Heinrich Marx was born May 5th, 1818in Trier. Although he had three other siblings, all sisters, he was thefavorite child to his father, Heinrich. His mother, a Dutch Jewess namedHenrietta Pressburg, had no interest in Karls intellectual side duringhis life. His father was a Jewish lawyer, and before his death in 1838,converted his family to Christianity to preserve his job with the Prussianstate. When Heinrichs mother died, he no longer felt he had an obligationto his religion, thus helping him in the decision in turning to Christianity. Karls childhood was a happy and carefree one. His parents had a good relationshipand it help set Karl in the right direction. His Splendid natural giftsawakened in his father the hope that they would One day be used in theservice of humanity, whilst his mother declared him to be a child of fortunein whose hands everything would go well. (The story of his life, Mehring,page 2)In High school, Karl stood out among thecrowd. When asked to write a report on How to choose a profession hetook a different approach. He took the angle in which most interested him,by saying that there was no way to choose a profession, but because ofcircumstances one is placed in an occupation. A person with an aristocraticbackground is more likely to have a higher role in society as opposed tosomeone from a much poorer background. While at Bonn at the age of eighteenhe got engaged to Jenny Von Westphalen, daughter of the upperclassmen LudwigVon Westphalen. She was the childhood friend of Marxs oldest sister, S ophie. The engagement was a secret one, meaning they got engaged without askingpermission of Jennys parents. Heinrich Marx was uneasy about this butbefore long the consent was given. Karls school life other than his marksis unknown. He never spoke of his friends as a youth, and no one has evercame to speak of him through his life. He left high school in August of1835 to go on to the University of Bonn in the fall of the same year tostudy law. His father wanted him to be a lawyer much like himself but whenKarls reckless university life was getting in the way after a year Heinrichtransferred him to Berlin. Also, he did not go to most lectures, and showedlittle interest in what was to be learned. Karls reckless ways were nottolerated at Berlin, a more conservative college without the mischievousways of the other universities. While at Berlin, Marx became part of thegroup known as the Yong Hegelians. The group was organized in part dueto the philosophy teacher Hegel that taught from 1818 to his death. Theteachings of Hegel shaped the way the school thought towards most things. Those who studied Hegel and his ideals were known as the Young Hegelians. Hegel spoke of the development and evolution of the mind and of ideas. Although Karl was younger than most in the group, he was recognized forhis intellectual ability and became the focus of the group. While at BerlinHe came to believe that all the various sciences and philosophies werepart of one overarching, which, when completed, which would give a trueand total picture of the universe and man. (Communist Manifesto, Marx(Francis B. Randal), page 15)Marx was an atheist, and believed thatscience and philosophy would prove everything. Thus he had no belief ina god of any type. Marx believed that Hegel must have been an atheist aswell because of his strong belief in the mind. Marxs doctoral thesis wascompeted in 1841. It carried the title The Difference Between the Philosophiesof Nature of Democrtius and Epicurus.(The Making of Marxs Critical Theory,Oakley, page 11) It had to do with the Greek philosopher Epicurus and howhis beliefs related to Marxs of that day. This thesis was an early indicationof the thinking behind Karl Marx. Much of his later work a nd ideas areevident in this essay. He passed his thesis into the University of Jenabecause Bonn and Berlin required an oral part to the thesis. Slave Revolt EssayHis ideas were no longer followed like they once were. His isolation fromthe general public provided a new light in his life. Then, in 1855, hisonly son died. His son showed much potential, and was the life of the family. When he died, Jenny became very sick with anxiety, and Marx himself becamevery depressed. He wrote to Engles The house seems empty and desertedsince the boy died. He was its life and soul. It is impossible to describehow much we miss him all of the time. I have suffered all sorts of misfortunesbut now I know what real misfortune is. (The Story of his Life, Mehring,page 247)After the Communist League disbanded in1852 Marx tried to create another organization much like it. Then, in 1862the First International was established in London. Marx was the leader. He made the inaugural speech and governed the work of the governing bodyof the International. When the International declined, Marx recommendedmoving it to the United States. The ending of the International in 1878took much out of Marx, and made him withdraw from his work; much like theending of the Communist League had done. This time, it was for good. Thelast ten years of his life is known as a slow death. This is becausethe last eight years many medical problems affected his life. In the autumnof 1873 he was inflected by apoplexy which effected his brain which madehim incapable of work and any desire to write. After weeks of treatmentin Manchester, he recovered fully. He controlled the demise of his health. Instead of relaxing in his old age he went back to work on his own studies. His late nights and early mornings decreased his health in the last fewyears of his life. In January of 1883, after the death of his daughterJenny, he suffered from Bronchitis and made it almost impossible to swallow. The next month a tumor developed in his lung and soon manifested into hisdeath on March 14, 1883. Although Marxs influence was not greatduring his life, after his death his works grew with the strength of theworking class. His ideas and theories became known as Marxism, and hasbeen used to shape the ideas of most European and Asian countries. Thestrength of the Proletariat has been due to the work of Marx. His idealsformed government known as communism. Although he was never a rich man,his knowledge has been rich in importance for the struggle of the workingclass. BibliographyHimelfarb, Alexander and C. James Richardson. Sociology for Canadians: Images of society. Toronto: McGraw-Hill RydersonLimited, 1991Mehring, F, Karl Marx, The story of hislife, London: Butler and Tanner ltd., 1936Marx, K, The Communist Manifesto, Germany:J. E. Burghard, 1848 Karl Marx. Microsoft Encarta 96 Encyclopedia. CD-ROM. Microsoft Corp., 1993-1995Vesaey, G. and P. Foulkes. Collins dictionaryof Philosophy. London:British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data,1990

They Arent just Books Anymore free essay sample

An argumentative paper about the need to improve library usage. This paper presents a detailed discussion about the need for library media specialists to promote library media programs. The writer argues that specialists need to be proactive in selling the media library programs and services. The argument includes ideas on changing the traditional view of libraries as well library media specialists. The world of the library has changed in ways that we never imagined were possible. Today with the click of a mouse we can visit nations across the ocean, we can check the price of stock and there is no topic on earth that cannot be researched if we know how to use the Internet. Gone are the days that libraries handed out cards and one was limited to two books a week. Gone are the days in which one went to the library and could not find what they needed because the topic was obscure. We will write a custom essay sample on They Arent just Books Anymore or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page