Personal Legends

A major theme in The Alchemist is that of finding one’s personal legend. A personal legend is something that is pure and good. It is the realization of this personal legend that adds to the goodness of the world. Throughout the novel, Santiago is risking everything to go in search of his personal legend. He faces many challenges along the way, but is always drawn back to his original purpose. To me, a personal legend is like a vocation. In Examined Life I, we learned that your vocation should not only be something that you do for a living, but should be a calling from God. Even though there will be many distractions and obstacles that present themselves during your journey to finding this calling, once found, it can be the sweetest reward to know that this is what you are made to do. Since our personal legends may not be as easily recognizable as Santiago’s, we have to put more trust and faith in God to guide us in the right direction. Imagine how wonderful the world could be if everyone were to find their personal legend.