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In Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist, when the Englishman asks Santiago what the boy learned about alchemy from reading his books, Santiago sums up his...

The Englishman and Santiago share with each other what they have learned up until the time they meet one another in the caravan. The Englishman agrees to listen and observe omens like Santiago has learned to do so far, and the boy agrees to read the man's books to find out what they have to offer. Santiago reads, but he doesn't feel like he learns anything. The Englishman listens to everyone and everything in the...

The Englishman and Santiago share with each other what they have learned up until the time they meet one another in the caravan. The Englishman agrees to listen and observe omens like Santiago has learned to do so far, and the boy agrees to read the man's books to find out what they have to offer. Santiago reads, but he doesn't feel like he learns anything. The Englishman listens to everyone and everything in the desert, but the only thing he hears is talk of war.


What Santiago does gain from reading the Englishman's books is that he can apply what the books say about alchemists to his way of learning and understanding. For example, Santiago says that he learned from the books that alchemists simply realized their Personal Legends. As a result of realizing those legends, they also discovered the Elixir of Life, the Soul of the World, and the Philosopher's Stone. Santiago adds that all of this is so simple that it can be written on a gemstone, such as an emerald, and that all of the books make learning these things more complicated. In the end, the Englishman decides that Santiago didn't learn anything from his books just like he didn't learn anything by watching the desert.

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