The Journey of Self-Realization: A Psychological Reading of Santiago’s Quest in The Alchemist

Abstract

The Alchemist (1988) by Paulo Coelho is an account of spiritual and psychological journey of a young Andalusian herder called Santiago whose quest to his Personal Legend proceeds in an allegory of human self-realization. This paper will examine the life of Santiago along the theoretical frames of the works of Carl Jung on individuation and the hierarchy of needs by Abraham Maslow focusing on how themes of the life of the protagonist can be interpreted as universally applicable to the psychology of development and the process of self-actualization. The analysis follows the change of Santiago of material passion to spiritual awakening, where the symbols, omens and events in the novel are interpreted as steps of inner awakening. Jungian archetypal system explains how Santiago had to face the self, unconsciousness and the collective wisdom of the human race whilst the theory of Maslow explains how Santiago had to fulfill his physiological, emotional and transcendental needs in a gradual manner. By means of this combined psychological reading, this paper contends that Coelho has used his narrative to describe the concept of self-realization as not a project but an interiorized procedure between the conscious and unconscious mind. The research paper incorporates that The Alchemist is a contemporary myth of individual change, and it is true that when personal purpose is linked with the higher beat, a person will have a full and full life. This study makes it a deeper exploration of the work of Coelho as philosophical story that transcends literature, psychology, as well as spirituality in the universal pursuit of meaning.

Keywords: Carl Jung, Individuation, Alchemist, Paulo Coelho, Spiritual, Psychological Journey