The Alchemist: Santiago's Journey

Joseph Campbell, an American mythologist, writer, and lecturer, is known for the term monomyth (heros journey).
It is a basic pattern found in several narratives. In this document, I will be describing the stages, providing examples from The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. Answers may vary, depending on your perspective. There are a total of seventeen stages, broken into three different sections: Departure (or separation), Initiation, and Return. Departure deals with the heros adventure prior to the quest. Initiation deals with the heros adventures along the way. Return deals with the hero going home with acquired knowledge and powers. Not all stories contain all stages, while others may have them in a different order.
#1: The Call to Adventure

The hero receives a call to leave his or her normal life and face adventure. From The Alchemist: Santiago has a recurring dream about treasure in the Egyptian pyramids.
#2: Refusal of the Call

Often the hero will initially reject the call to adventure due to the changes it would cause in his or her life. From The Alchemist: Santiago has grown accustomed to being a shepherd and if he leaves, the sheep might suffer without him.
#3: Supernatural Aid

A mentor will present the hero with one or more talismans or artifacts that will aid them later in their quest. From The Alchemist: Melchizedek, the king of Salem, gives Santiago one white stone (Urim) and one black stone (Thummim) that help read omens. Also, the gypsy that interprets his dream can be considered supernatural aid.
#4: The Crossing of the First Threshold

The hero leaves the familiar behind and enters the unknown. From The Alchemist: Santiago sells his flock of sheep and takes a boat to Tangier in Africa, leaving his shepherd life behind.
#5: Belly of the Whale

The hero willingly crosses the point of no return. From The Alchemist: Santiago is too quick to trust and gets robbed of most of his possessions. He cant buy a ticket back home and decides to not think of himself as a poor victim.
#6: The Road of Trials

The road of trials is a series of tests, tasks, or ordeals that the person must undergo to begin the transformation. From The Alchemist: He works for a crystal merchant in order to earn back some money. Then he joins a caravan and has to adapt to desert life. He journeys to an oasis while facing obstacles, getting one step closer to fulfilling his personal legend.
#7: The Meeting with the Goddess

The hero finds his or her true love or companion. From The Alchemist: Santiago experiences love at first sight when he sees Fatima by a well.
#8: Temptation
The hero is tempted to stray from his or her quest by some offer of personal gain. From The Alchemist: Santiago wants to stay with Fatima and believes shes more important than his treasure.
#9: Atonement with the Father

The hero succeeds his or her master/father figure. From The Alchemist: Santiago meets the alchemist. An answer that works is that Santiago is able to transform himself into the wind.
#10: Apotheosis
This stage is marked by the death or transition to a different plane of a major character. From The Alchemist: The previous can work for this stage also or you can write that he breaks off from the caravan and the alchemist to travel across dunes towards the pyramids.
#11: The Ultimate Boon

The hero reaches the final goal, gaining the final reward.
From The Alchemist: Santiago knows the Language of the World and theres some selfdiscovery. Also, he finds out where the treasure is.
#12: Refusal of the Return

Holding the reward, the hero does not want to return to his or her old life. From The Alchemist: Along the way, Santiago has experienced everything he might have dreamed of and he would be content with staying at the oasis with Fatima.
#13: The Magic Flight

Escaping with the reward may not be simple, or the reward may hinder the act of returning. From The Alchemist: Santiago is beaten up by some men and they stole from him.
#14: Rescue From Without

After the long ordeal of the quest or refusal to return, the hero may need to be rescued. From The Alchemist: Santiagos dream saves him because the men dont believe its true.
#15: The Crossing of the Return Threshold

The journey has changed the hero and he or she must learn to integrate this new knowledge with his or her old life. From The Alchemist: Santiago returns back home and he digs by a sycamore tree, where he finds a chest of coins and other jewels. If he hadnt pursued his personal legend and listened to omens, his life would have been drastically different (many answers for this one).
#16: Master of Two Worlds

The hero accepts his or her new place in the world and the responsibility that comes with it. Often this is responsibility the hero initially feared. From The Alchemist: Santiago has newfound knowledge of the Soul of the World and he knows how to communicate with the earth, yet he also loves Fatima. Theres a balance between the two.
#17: Freedom To Live
With the journey complete and the hero integrated back into the world, he or she is now free to live his or her life as he or she sees fit. From The Alchemist: With his personal legend completed, Santiago can now go back to Fatima.
Sources
http://www.altereddreams.net/files/presentations/Monomyth%20Worksheet.pdf Looking at The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho Thanks for reading!

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Joseph Campbell, an American mythologist, writer, and lecturer, is known for the term monomyth (heros journey).

#1: The Call to Adventure

#2: Refusal of the Call

#3: Supernatural Aid

#4: The Crossing of the First Threshold

#5: Belly of the Whale

#6: The Road of Trials

#7: The Meeting with the Goddess

#9: Atonement with the Father

#11: The Ultimate Boon

#12: Refusal of the Return

#13: The Magic Flight

#14: Rescue From Without

#15: The Crossing of the Return Threshold

#16: Master of Two Worlds

#17: Freedom To Live

http://www.altereddreams.net/files/presentations/Monomyth%20Worksheet.pdf Looking at The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho Thanks for reading!

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