1. The Alchemist By: Paolo Coelho
“To Realize One’s destiny is a person’s only obligation”: The Hero’s Journey

2. You awake from a dream…
As a class, we will be embarking on a great journey towards better understanding our own personal legends. We will begin this promising year with Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist, through which we will follow the journey of a young sheepherder as he travels towards his own personal legend and treasure.
What is important to you!

3. Setting Andalucia, Spain and the desert
Considering that the novel is an allegory, why do you think Coelho chose this setting?
What associations do we make with pyramids and the desert?

4. APK (Activating Prior Knowledge)
See if you can explain what the following symbols mean:

5. Concept Development: Symbols
A symbol is often an event, object, person or animal to which an extraordinary meaning or significance has been attached.
Pair/share: What ideas do these pictures symbolize?

6. Concept Development: Where do Symbols come from?
Symbols can be inherited or invented.
Ex. The Statue of Liberty came to symbolize freedom for people immigrating to the United States by way of Ellis Island.

7. Importance: Why Create Symbols in literature?
Symbols allow writers to suggest layers of meanings and possibilities that a simple literal statement could not convey as well.
Symbols allow writers to convey an idea with layers of meaning without having to explain those layers in the text.
A symbol is like a pebble cast into a pond: It sends out ever widening ripples.
Pair/Share: Tell your partner a symbol from one of our readings this year or last year.

8. Concept Development: Allegory
An Allegory is a story in which characters, settings and actions stand for something beyond themselves.
In some types of Allegories, the characters and setting represent abstract ideas of moral qualities.
In other types, characters and situations stand for historical figures and events.

9. Examples of Allegories
An Allegory can be read on one level for its literal or straightforward meaning
An allegory can be read for its symbolic, or allegorical meaning
Allegories are often intended to teach a moral lesson or make a comment about goodness and depravity.

10. Concept Development: Parable
Type of ALLEGORY set in the real world
Teaches a lesson about ethics or morality
Remember the Good Samaritan??
-Many stories in the Bible are parables

11. Concept Development: Allegory/Parables
Some famous parables and allegorical stories/movies/television programs are:
Animal Farm
“The Emperor’s New Clothes”
The Wizard of Oz
“The Boy Who Cried Wolf”
Avatar
The Matrix
Of Mice and Men

12. Symbolism vs. Allegory
A symbol can be a word, place, character or object that means something beyond what it is on a literal level.
An allegory involves using many interconnected symbols or allegorical figures in such a way that nearly every element of the narrative has a meaning beyond the literal level, i.e., everything in the narrative is a symbol that relates to other symbols within the story.

13. Independent Practice
Think of a movie or book that utilizes a symbol (you cannot use an example from this powerpoint!)
Name the movie/book
Identify the symbol
Identify the literal meaning of the symbol
Identify the figurative (symbolic) meaning of the symbol
Explain why the symbol was used

14. Inside your satchel: The Alchemist’s Terms/Expressions:
The Soul of the World
The Unspoken Language
The Language of the World
Personal Legend
Principle of Favorability (p. 29)
Urim and Thummin (p. 30)
Philosopher’s Stone (p.66)
Exlixir of Life (p.66)
Master Work (p.81)
Emerald Tablet (p.126)
King of Salem

15. Vocabulary:
scabbard (37)
conspire
scimitar (112)
brandish (112)
dialect (106)
prognostication (111)
monotony (124)
tracts (126)
agitated (128)
centurion (158)
scarab (161)
alchemy
elixir (133)
contemplate (134)
fixedly (136)
flourish (145)
sirocco (146)
Tether (151)
Recount (153)
Disciple (153)
Avidly (159)
Sacristy (163)
Infidel (34)

16. The Alchemist is an ALLEGORY
Allegory: a story, poem, or picture that reveals a hidden meaning, message, or moral, characters embody deeper theme
Can we think of any examples? Do we ever come across allegories?
Not everything is what it appears to be!
Therefore, what can we learn from this novel?
Plato’s Allegory of the cave:

17. Plato’s Allegory of the Cave

18. “Its not about the destination, its about the journey”
How is this applicable to 8th grade?
We meet Santiago, and together we determine what becomes more important for him, the journey or the destination

19. Fables Coelho chooses to write The Alchemist in the form of a fable
What is a fable?
Why do you think he made this decision?
What does he attempt to teach in through this form?
From what we have viewed, what characteristics make a fable effective?

20. Fables use typically recognizable characters to communicate an overarching moral
What was the moral of the fable we just viewed?
What role does each character play?
Even though we might find it difficult to understand the terminology of the story, initially, Coelho applies these terms to develop concepts we are already familiar with
Can anyone think of any expressions that we hear often?

21. Narcissus
The author chooses to begin his own fable with an updated version of the myth narcissus
Who do we first meet in this section of the book?
Narcissus was once walking by a lake or river and decided to drink some water; he saw his reflection in the water and was surprised by the beauty he saw; he became entranced by the reflection of himself. He could not obtain the object of his desire though, and he died at the banks of the river or lake from his sorrow.
What can we say is the mood of this piece? How can you tell?
As we read Coelho’s version, lets compare and contrast

22. “When you want something, all the world conspires with you to achieve it”
How does this relate to our perspective lesson?
Why is it important for us to be wary of our own point of view at times?
How would you interpret this quote? Have you ever experienced this phenomenon?

23. Do Now: 9/20
Coelho states that “simple things are the most valuable and only wise people appreciate them.” Produce a written response which depicts something that is “simple” yet valuable to you. Be prepared to explain specifically why/ how the item is valuable.
Spoon and oil and image: what should we value?
Why do we have to be careful not to become distracted?

24. How to Bartle Puzballs 9/21
There are tork gooboos of puzballs, including laplies, mushos, and fushos. Even if you bartle the puzballs that tovo inny and onny of the pern, they do not grunto any lipples. In order to geemee a puzball that gruntos lipples, you should bartle the fusho who has rarckled the parshtootoos after her humply fluflu. Please answer the questions below:
1. How many gooboos of puzballs are there?
2. What are laplies, mushos, and fushos?
3. Even if you bartle the puzballs that tovo inny and onny of the pern, they will not what?
4. How can you geemee a puzball that gruntos lipples?

25. Answer Key 1. There are tork gooboos of puzballs.
2. Laplies, mushos, and fushos are tork gooboos of puzballs.
3. They will not grunto any lipples.
4. You should bartle the fusho who has rarckled her parshtootoos after her humply fluflu.

26. Making Connections
What was it like walking into class and having unfamiliar things around you? What did you do? How did you feel? What did you observe others doing? How can you compare this experience to Santiago’s when he arrives in Africa? What he does? What others do? - What are the challenges that Santiago faces?

27. Say SOMETHING!
Say Something This strategy allows for frequent “mini-bursts” of conversations. Stop after every paragraph (pages 35-46) to have dialogue about what you have just read. You can clear up any confusion, talk about a point that you found powerful, talk about a point that you question, etc. work in triads; either one person reads each section aloud, then “says something” to the group that others then respond to, or everyone can read silently and a designated person must start the Say Something process.
Rules for Say Something
1. With your partner(s), decide who will say something first.
2. When you say something, do one or more of the following: a. Ask a question b. Clarify something you misunderstood c. Make a comment d. Make a connection e. State something you found important
3. If you can’t do one of these five things, then you need to reread.
4. Your partner should comment on what you have shared, by doing one of the following: a. Answering your question or asking a follow-up question b. Making an additional comment or connection c. Help clarify understanding the content/meaning
Person who is not talking at the time is a scribe

28. 9/21: Post Part One
Chapter or section titles frequently give us an overview of a chapter’s content or identify a significant incident. There are no chapters in this book, however; it is begins with part 1 and does not give clear hints at what will happen. Although Coelho breaks up each part with section dividers, he does not include section titles. If Coelho had broken up the book into chapters with titles, would it give you more incentive to read on? Do you think the section dividers are sufficient? Now that you are near the end of Part One, determine if you are more satisfied or curious without having a clue about what will happen in Part Two.

30. Plot Part One: the Hero’s Journey, using quotes and images that correspond to significant parts