Mrs. Smith if you have questions. (810)

Transcription

1 Name: World Literature Summer Reading Mrs. Smith if you have questions. (810) The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho Read the novel and complete the study guide. By the first day of school, you will turn in the study guide, and then on the first day of school you will take a multiple choice and essay test over the novel. We will be discussing and working with this novel for the first week of school, so make sure you read it thoroughly. DUE: First day of school!!!

2 Alchemist pre-reading journal Imagine this: A stranger sits down next to you one day. He says, Hi. You re a happy person, with a job that you like and a pretty happy life, right? Well, what if I told you that you could be richer than you ever thought possible. All you have to do is give up the job and life that you have and go on a journey. But if you do, and see it all the way through, I promise you will wealthy beyond your dreams. First what would be your first reaction to this man? Second Stop and think about what he s offering. Could you give up everything you know for a chance at great wealth and happiness? Why or why not? Third Define wealth for yourself. What do you consider makes a person truly wealthy? Fourth If you were to take this man up on his offer, where do you think the journey might take you?

3 The Alchemist Warm-up 1. Write a paragraph defining the term Alchemist giving at least 3 synonyms (similar or words meaning the same). 2. Read the section titled Ten Years On. What was Paulo Coelho s personal calling? What are the 4 obstacles he outlines in the section? Why does he feel that it is so important to live our personal calling? What might be a personal calling for yourself? 3. Now read the Prologue. What is ironic about this section? What can we guess about the novel?

4 The Alchemist Worksheet 1 Part One 1. What is our main character s name? Describe him. 2. What is the initial setting of the novel? 3. What is an external conflict for the novel? 4. What is an internal conflict? 5. What is his purpose in life (page 8)? 6. What does the boy mean when he says it is the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting? Is this the same thing as the actuality of having a dream come true? Why/Why not? 7. What is his dream? 8. What does the old woman say his dream means? Why isn t he happy with her interpretation? What is her price for doing this? 9. What does the old man say about the book the boy is reading? 10. What does the old man think is the world s greatest lie? Why does he think this? Does the boy agree? Why/why not?

5 11. Who is the old man? What does he offer to do? What is his price for doing this? 12. How does the old man convince him to listen to him? 13. What is a Personal Legend? 14. Why has he appeared to the boy now? 15. What does he give the boy to help him on his way? 16. What was the moral of the story the old man tells him? How does this apply to your own life? What are the drops of oil you must not forget? 17. What city does he end up in? 18. Who does he give his money to? Why? 19. What happens to it? 20. What omen is he given? What does it mean? 21. Who does he receive help from? What help is he given? (2 people, 2 acts of help) 22. Why doesn t he resume his journey?

6 The Alchemist Part Two (pp 51-79) 23. Where is our traveler now? What is he doing? Is he happy? 24. Why does he want to build a display case? 25. How has his goal changed? 26. What is the merchant s dream? 27. Why hasn t he fulfilled it? 28. How long has the boy been in Africa? How has he changed? 29. What new suggestion does the boy have? 30. How does the merchant respond? 31. How does this help the business? 32. On page 60, what does the boy decide to do? Do you think he will actually do this? 33. What was the important lesson the sheep had taught the boy? (p. 62)

7 34. How is he feeling about his decision? Why? 35. How and why does his decision change? (p. 65) 36. Who does the boy meet now? 37. What is his dream? What problem does he have? 38. What item helps the boy become acquainted with this stranger? 39. How many are traveling to Al-Fayoum? 40. The closer one gets to realizing his Personal Legend, the more that Personal Legend becomes his true reason for being, thought the boy (72). What does this mean? 41. Describe life on the desert. What does Santiago think the desert will teach him? 42. Describe the Bedouins. What is their purpose? What information do they tell the caravan? 43. How does this change the mood of the caravan? What else is changed? 44. What is the Soul of the World (78)?

8 The Alchemist Part Two (pp ) 45. What does Santiago learn from the books? 46. What is the Master Work (80)? 47. Why does the boy go back to contemplating the silence of the desert? Is his soul truly too primitive? 48. How has the caravan s journey changed yet again? Why? (p. 84) 49. What is the camel driver s advice to Santiago? Is it good advice? Why/Why not? 50. What do the date palms signify? (clue: more that just an oasis) 51. Who is also at the oasis? 52. Who is the alchemist looking for? Why is this ironic? (look up term if you don t remember its meaning) 53. Describe the oasis. (4 sentences here)

9 54. Where must Santiago stay now? Why? For how long? 55. Who does Santiago meet at the well (pp )? 56. How did the Englishman s visit to the Alchemist go? 57. Why does Santiago decide to continue on his quest? 58. What is the vision Santiago has? What does it mean? 59. Who does Santiago tell first? What does he tell Santiago to do? 60. Who does he tell next? 61. Do they believe him? What is his reward/punishment? 62. Who is the strange horseman? Why does he appear?

10 The Alchemist Part Two (pp ) 63. Is Santiago rewarded or punished? What is he given? 64. Who does Santiago then go to see? Why? 65. What does the Alchemist tell Santiago? 66. Why doesn t Santiago want to leave? 67. The Alchemist says: You must understand that love never keeps a man from pursuing his Personal Legend. If he abandons that pursuit, it s because it wasn t true love...the love that speaks the Language of the World (120). What does this mean to you? 68. How does the oasis change for Fatima? Why? 69. How is Santiago to immerse himself in the desert? 70. Why is Santiago s heart agitated? Will he be able to listen to it? 71. What does the Alchemist think? 72. Why does he tell Santiago that he should listen to it even if it s traitorous?

11 73. Is this good advice? Why/Why not? 74. What is the final lesson Santiago needed to learn? Why is it so important now? 75. What is the tribesmen s response to the Alchemist when he explains what the liquid in the crystal flask and the yellow glass egg are? How is this ironic? 76. Why does the Alchemist tell the truth? 77. How is Santiago s heart now? What does it share with him? 78. Why do the Arabs in blue cloaks take Santiago s money? 79. What is Santiago supposed to do after 3 days? Will he be able to? Why/Why not? 80. What instruction does the Alchemist give Santiago? 81. How does Santiago explain love to the desert? Does it work? 82. What is the name of the wind in this part of the world? What was it called in his homeland?

12 83. How does Santiago get the wind to help him? 84. Why don t the chiefs stop Santiago? 85. Who does Santiago seek help from now? What does it know of love? 86. On page 150 Santiago explains what alchemy is. What does he say it does? 87. What does Santiago learn about the Soul of God?

13 88. Is Santiago successful? The Alchemist - Part Two (pp 153-End of Novel) 89. Who were the 2 people smiling? Why was each one smiling? 90. Where do the Alchemist and Santiago part? What does the Alchemist give Santiago? What does he leave for him in reserve? Why? 91. What does Santiago find in the desert? 92. How does he discover where his treasure really is? 93. What is so ironic about this? 94. Why didn t the Alchemist tell him the truth about his Personal Legend?

14 95. What does Santiago find? 96. Where does Santiago have to go now? 97. Earlier in the story, the alchemist told Santiago when you possess great treasures within you, and try to tell others of them, seldom are you believed. At the end of the story, how did this simple lesson save Santiago s life? How did it lead him back to the treasure he was looking for? (4 sentences)

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