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The Alchemist Writing PromptRead the following two quotes:"What a man thinks of himself, that is which determines, or rather indicates, his fate."- Henry David Thoreau“There are some people who live in a dream world, and there are some who face reality; and then there are those who turn one into the other.”- Douglas EverettWRITING PROMPT:Select ONE of the quotes from above and prove the main idea of that selected quote by using specific textual evidence from The Alchemist AND from at least two more of the sources listed below. Be sure to cite your evidence.“Book Reviews: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.” Humanities: 360. Helium Publishing. 27 April 2008. Web. 29 April 2014. Bulkley, Kelly. “Jung’s Dream Theory.” International Institute for Dream Research. International Institute for Dream Research. 2006. Web. 29 April 2014.Dali, Salvador. The Alchemist. 1962. Wikipaintings. Web. 12 May 2014.“Freudian Dream Tools.” DreamMoods. DreamMoods. 3 December 2013. Web. 29 April 2014.Hughes, Langston. “Harlem.” Poetry Foundation. Poetry Foundation. 2014. Web. 29 April 2014.Koplik, M. “Alchemist Terms and Background Information.” The Alchemist Study Guide. 2008. Web. 21 October 2013. AND Koplik, M. “Interview with Paulo Coelho.” The Alchemist Study Guide. 2008. Web. 21 October 2013.Woodward, Susan. “The Story of Narcissus.” LitPlan for The Alchemist. Teacher's Pet Publications. 2008. Web. 3 April 2014. '“Harlem” - by Langston HughesWhat happens to a dream deferred?Does it dry uplike a raisin in the sun?Or fester like a sore—And then run?Does it stink like rotten meat?Or crust and sugar over—like a syrupy sweet?Maybe it just sagslike a heavy load.Or does it explode?“The Story of Narcissus” - by Susan WoodwardOnce upon a time, there was a boy called Narcissus. He was the son of a god and he was very, very handsome. Many women fell in love with him, but he turned them away.One of the women who loved Narcissus was a nymph called Echo. Echo could not speak properly - she could only repeat what was said to her, so she couldn't tell Narcissus that she loved him.One day, when Narcissus was walking in the woods with some friends, he became separated from them.He called out "Is anyone here?"Echo replied "Here, Here".Echo stepped forward with open arms, wanting to cuddle him.But Narcissus refused to accept Echo's love. Echo was so upset that she left and hid in a cave, until nothing was left of her, except her voice.Nemesis, a goddess, found out about this, and she was very angry. She made Narcissus fall in love with himself.When Narcissus looked at his reflection in a pond one day, he fell in love. He stayed on that spot forever, until he died one day. Where he died a flower grew, and that flower is called a Narcissus.“Jung’s Dream Theory” - by Kelly BulkleyThe dream theory of Carl G . Jung (1875-1961) Is one of the most important and widely influential dream theories in modern depth psychology (that branch of psychology that studies the unconscious as its main object) . Jung, a Swiss medical doctor, was at one time Freud's closest friend and leading student; however, Jung and Freud had a bitter falling out in 1914, in part because of their different theories of the nature and function of dreams (see FREUD'S DREAM THEORY) .In Jung's view, dreams are the direct, natural expression of the current condition of the dreamer's mental world. Jung rejected Freud's claim that dreams intentionally disguise their meanings ; rather, Jung believed that the nature of dreams is to present "a spontaneous selfportrayal, in symbolic form, of the actual situation in the unconscious" (Jung, 1967, Vol . 8, par. 505) . Jung claimed that dreams speak in a distinctive language of symbols, images, and metaphors, a language that is the unconscious mind's natural means of expression . We have trouble understanding dreams, Jung said, only because this symbolic language Is so different from the Ian-* guage of our waking consciousness .Dreams sometimes portray the dreamer's relation with the external world, that Is, with the people, events, and activities of the dreamer's daily life. Jung called this the objective level of a dream's meaning . At other times, dreams portray the dreamer's inner world ; the dream figures are' personifications of thoughts and feelings within the dreamer's own psyche . This, Jung said, is the subjective level of a dream's meaning . Jung criticized Freud for acknowledging only the objective level ; the true nature of dreams, Jung believed, is to portray both these levels of the dreamer's life. Jung stated that dreams serve two functions:One function Is to compensatefor imbalances in the dreamer's psyche. Dreams bring forth unconscious contents that consciousness has either ignored, depreciated, or actively repressed . For example, if a person is overly intellectual, his or her dreams will work to balance this conscious excess by bringing forth images of the psyche's more emotion-oriented contents. According to Jung, when the dreamer recognizes and accepts these unconscious contents, greater psychological balance is achieved . The second function of dreams is to provideprospective images of the future.Jung agrees with Freud that dreams may look backward to past experiences, but he argues that dreams also look forward to anticipate what the dreamer's future developments may be . Jung did not mean that dreams predict the future, only that dreams can suggest what might happen, what possibilities the future might hold. Ultimately, Jung believed that dreams function to promote the most important developmental . process of human life, namely, the uniting of consciousness and the unconscious in a healthy, harmonious state of wholeness . Jung calls this process individuation, the "complete actualization of the whole human being" (Jung, 1967, Vol . 16, par. 352) .One of the most distinctive features of Jung's theory of dreams is his claim that dreams express not just'personal contents, but also collective or universal contents . Jung believed that dreams frequently contain archetypes, universal psychic images that underlie all human thought . (Common archetypal figures described by Jung are the wise old man, the great mother, the trickster, the divine child, and the shadow.) Archetypes reflect a natural wisdom deep within the human unconscious; archetypal images in dreams can provide the dreamer with special insights and guidance along the path toward individuation . Jung believed that the world's religious and mythological traditions contain a wealth of archetypal images, and he refers to . these traditions in describing the nature and function of dreams .Jung's dream theory has been criticized for being perilously close to mysticism and the occult. Jung insisted, however, that his theory of dreams is based on strictly empirical observationsHe claimed to have interpreted over 80,000 dreams during his almost 60 years of clinical practice; Jung said his theory simply attempts to describe and classify the dream phenomena he had observed .“Freudian Dream Tools” - by DreamMoodsAccording to Freud, dreams always have a manifest and latent content.? The manifest content is what the dream seems to be saying. It is often bizarre and nonsensical.? The latent content is what the dream is really trying to say. Dreams give us a look into our unconscious. Freud believes that we can chip through the dream's manifest content to reveal the underlying significance and its latent by utilizing the technique of "free?association".?Using this technique, you start with one dream symbol and then follow with what automatically comes to your mind first.?You continue in this manner and see where it leads.?To further help in interpreting the cryptic images of our dreams,? Freud classified the images into the following five processes:?1. DisplacementThis occurs when the desire for one thing or person is symbolized by something or someone else.??2. ProjectionThis happens when the dreamer propels their own desires and wants onto another person.?3. SymbolizationThis is characterized when the dreamer's repressed urges or suppressed desires are acted out metaphorically.?4. CondensationThis is the process in which the dreamer hides their feelings or urges by contracting it or underplaying it into a brief dream image or event. Thus the meaning of this dream imagery may not be apparent or obvious.?5. RationalizationThis is regarded as the final stage of dreamwork. The dreaming mind organizes an incoherent dream into one that is more comprehensible and logical. This is also known as?secondary revision“Interview with Paulo Coelho” - by M. Koplik“Four Pillars of Alchemy– four important “tips” for finding one’s Personal Legend:One must believe in “The Soul of the World.” The ancient Latin term for this concept is “anima mundi.” In short, this idea suggests that everything in the world is interconnected; that is, what one does affects everything else, from the smallest grain of sand to the largest whale, and vice versa. Writers and thinkers such as Plato, Walt Whitman and Khalil Ghibran have attempted to illustrate this interconnectedness in their works.One must listen to the voice of the heart. Coelho suggests that sometimes we must follow our feelings and intuitions, even if we do not fully understand them. Through feeling one gains wisdom.One must be faithful to one’s dreams, for they both test and reward us. In other words, the path to achieving one’s Personal Legend may not be an easy one, but we must endure the tests in order to gain the rewards.One must “surrender oneself to the universe.” Coelho suggests that we must allow ourselves to be open to recognizing and learning from omens and signs which come our way. ALCHEMIST TERMS & BACKGROUND INFORMATIONGeographical Locations in the Novel:AndalusiaAl-Fayoum (oasis in Egypt)TarifaEl Cairum (p.76)Salem (Jeru”salem”)NileTangier (p. 44)Coptic MonasteryCeuta (p. 44)Moors (p.27)Mecca (p. 54)Sahara Desert (36)Regional, Cultural or Spiritual Allusions and Terms:Narcissus (Prologue)Esperanto (p.66)King Melchizedek (Genesis14, “King Most High”)Helvetius, Elias, Fulcanelli, Geber (p.82)Koran (p. 54)Scarab (p.161)MuslimSimum (p.148MeccaCoptic (153,154)Allah (p. 71, 97)Tiberius (p.158)Levanter (p.27)hookah (p. 114)“Maktub” (p. 59)The Alchemist’s Terms/Expressions:The Soul of the WorldPhilosopher’s Stone ((p.66)The Unspoken LanguageElixir of Life (p. 66)The Language of the WorldMaster Work (p.81)Personal LegendEmerald Tablet (p. 126)Principle of Favorability (p. 29)Urim and Thummin (p. 30)The novel integrates ideas and philosophies of many faiths and historical periods. Many of these ideas concern the pursuit of truth, one’s intended destiny and the attainment of personal happiness. Coelho refers to these combined elements as one’s “Personal Legend.” He tells the story of Santiago in order to teach us how we may find and live out our own Personal Legends. These ideas, though, have been explored since ancient times in one form or another by countless faiths and peoples. Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Taoism, Christianity, Judaism, countless tribal cultures, in addition to ancient and modern philosophers, all attempt to define the idea of one’s Personal Legend (though they may call it by different names), and all subscribe paths to achieving personal fulfillment. Thus, although the legend is about no faith or philosophy in particular, it is about all faiths and philosophies.Alchemy is the medieval “science” of transforming rocks into gold. Alchemy plays an important part in the plot (literal level) of the story, but it also becomes a symbol, or allegorical device, in the legend (figurative level). Coelho is really using characters, events and symbols as tools to show us how to achieve spiritual alchemy. In other words, how do we find or recognize the “gold,” -- our Personal Legend-- in the “rocks” of the everyday, ordinary, simple details of our lives? As Santiago discovers, sometimes the “gold” is not faraway, not glittery, not exotic, and not complicated, but it may require a journey of courage, faith and perseverance to discover what it is and where it is hidden.Dali, Salvador. The Alchemist. 1962. Wikipaintings. Web. 12 May 2014.Book Reviews the Alchemist by Paulo CoelhoPublished: April 27, 2008The Alchemist is like harrira soup. Although this North African soup can be slurped down at any time of the year, it is mainly consumed during important festivities, the biggest being Ramadan (the Muslim fasting month). Harrira soup is wholesome and healthy and if you are on a shoestring budget this meal will satisfy the hungriest mouth. It is a sin during Ramadan not to provide food to the hungry; therefore, Harrira is often the token humble gesture from one to another. The Alchemist is on a par with this soup. Its messages are also wholesome, healthy and filled with generous wisdom.This is not a novel that will ruin your latest French manicure, there are no huge moments of suspense or high levels of drama whilst pages and the ash of your well sucked ciggy are flicked. Nevertheless, it is a story that remains with you for a long time. It has soul, something to meditate on, to learn and even maybe later, something to teach another. What it leaves you with is a feeling similar to that of a great massage done by a bare breasted man in a loin cloth. "AHHHH" you will say when you come to the end or come full stop. "Thank God for small pleasures". This is what the Alchemist is; a small pleasure.It is the story of a Spanish Shepherd who follows a dream he has whilst asleep one night. The dream tells him that his treasure lies beside the pyramids of Egypt. So off he sets on a journey of self-discovery,endurance, obedience and most of all belief, that will in the end not only take him to his treasure but show him the treasure within himself; "treasure lies where your heart belongs". Coelho suggests that although you sometimes need to go to the end of the earth to evolve, what you are looking for might actually be right in front of you. You have the power. You are your own God. As an Atheist I love this idea. I think Sartre would have liked this book too.The Alchemist deals with many human philosophies and I found myself using Coelho's story recently to muse over a situation relating to love. This is why I love "The Alchemist" . You can use the story of Santiago on so many different levels. For my friend, it was about love and what was so blatantly obvious to others but maybe not to himself. For another it might be about success, that you have what you need inside of you and don't need to look far for answers. For the spendaholic, it might be that "simple things are the most valuable and only wise people appreciate them". Above all, The Alchemist is the story of oneself , of your own "Personal Legend"; destiny. For some, that story begins, middles and ends in the same village they grew up in . For others, the story takes them to the other end of the world. For all, it is a journey that can only be made alone and when ready .This a simple novel with huge impact. I would like to read it again but this time to my girls. Because of it's fable like quality, I know they will love it. ................
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