Quest for Self as Reflected in Paulo Coelho’s Novel, “The Alchemist”

Abstract

Paulo Coelho is a Brazilian writer and lyricist known for using rich symbolism in many of his works. He is honored with many international awards for his prolific contribution to the field of literature. In 1984, he wrote his first novel, “The Pilgrimage,” which is a collection of his spiritual inclination on his way to Santiago de Compostela, but he did not receive much acclamation for this. He achieved fame with his second novel, “The Alchemist,” which has sold at least 65millions of copies and holds a position in Guinness World Record for being one of the most  widely translated books in the contemporary world. His mesmerizing novel ‘The Alchemist’ is regarded as one of the magnum opuses that deals with the self-recognition of the protagonist of the novel.