Talk With Your Heart

Third Passion, Helene Lagoudakis

Talk With Your Heart

‘“If we’re going our separate ways soon,” the boys said, “then teach me about alchemy.”’(Coelho, page 130) This quote shows us that Santiago wants to understand whatever there is to know about alchemy. Santiago is a boy who is seeking his destiny. It all begins in Andalusia when Santiago was merely a lonely shepherd. He met a merchant and his daughter and planned to visit the girl the following year. However, instead of meeting the girl and her father, he meets an old man who claims to be Melchizedek, The King of Salem. This is where Santiago’s journey begins. If it wasn’t for his wisdom, his level of understanding, or his maturity, Santiago wouldn't have reached his destiny.

One of Santiago’s main character traits is his wisdom. Santiago is named after a church in Spain called ‘Santiago De Compostella.’ This church is a major site for pilgrims since this church is a place where they get enlightened and a place where they gain their wisdom. You can also tell that Santiago is wise by the things he says. For example, ‘”There are so many languages spoken by things. There was a time when, for me, a camel’s whinnying was nothing more than whinnying. Then it became a signal of danger. And, finally, it became just a whinny again.”’ (Coelho, page 131) In this passage, Santiago tells about camels and their language. People who have been living and working with camels come to know their signals and their different grunts and whinnies. Wisdom is a vital trait, but as is the ability to understand difficult situations.

Santiago is a very understanding young man, but he still needs to understand and learn about alchemy. ‘”If we’re going our separate ways soon,” the boy said, “Then teach me about alchemy.” (Coelho, page 130) The quote hints that Santiago really does want to learn and that he doesn’t fully understand what it takes to be an Alchemist yet. He still needs guidance from his mentor. He also understands what the Alchemist is saying to him, even though what he is explaining only can be understood by one’s heart. Santiago Also understands that he is on a quest to search for his destiny. He knows that bad events might get thrown his way and that he might not succeed his quest fully. But his heart is full of hope and he believes that he’ll make it. Maturity is linked to understanding in many ways; maturity follows understanding.

On a guest for your destiny, you have to be mature in any situation. Santiago is a very mature and deep person when it comes to talking to the Alchemist and getting help with his quest. One example of this is in this quote: ‘”Who taught you to speak the language of the desert and the wind?” asked the wind. “My heart,” the boy answered.”’ (Coelho, page 139) Here, Santiago has told the wind that he listens to his heart and that he really is mature enough to know what he really wants. He isn’t going for all the small items and object he can get later on. He’s after love and intelligence. When he meets the merchant’s daughter, he falls in love with her. Santiago soon finds out that he isn’t in love with her; its called lust.

Santiago uses all his traits to reach his destiny, and in the end, that was all he really needed. Without these traits, he wouldn’t have taken the first steps in the beginning when he was a shepherd. He uses his wisdom to lead him to his treasure. His level of understanding keeps him on track when talking to The Alchemist. Also, his maturity is in him throughout the novel. Santiago follows his dreams instead of ignoring them and thinking that they’re just dreams. Santiago also hopes that he will achieve his destiny when he meets the old man who claims he is The King of Salem. By achieving his destiny, he understands more and more of the Soul of The World and The Language of the World. He also connect to God only when he really needs help, but most of the time, he talks with his heart. In the end, Santiago finds out that his treasure isn't only coins and gold, its love, knowledge and the ability to talk with his own heart.

One of my traits that help me control me destiny, is my will to learn what I feel passionate about. It's not that I don't want to learn everything else, but I want to master what I want first. Everyone is different; and this is just the way I am. Since everyone is different, I feel that no one can change personality wise. Well, my trait sometimes pulls me down. I don't want to learn absolutely EVERYTHING, just what I like doing. I'll see if I can make a living off of that. If something happens in the future, I'll blame myself for not learning all that was thrown my way. Learning isn't just about understanding what is going on. That's only 80% of it. The last 20% is the passion to learn and keep digging deeper into that concept. The picture at the top is a rose which represents passion due to it's beauty and aroma.