English I (Pre-AP): Alchemist 65-104 Study Questions

Answer each question with supporting evidence from the text.

Pages 65-79

1. The Englishman, whom Santiago meets when he joins the caravan to the Egyptian pyramids, is—like Santiago—joining the caravan as part of a quest. What is the Englishman searching for?


2. As the caravan travels, the Englishman spends his days poring over his books to learn the secrets of alchemy; Santiago, meanwhile, throws his book away, instead opting to observe the desert and listen to the wind. The Englishman tries to learn alchemy through the intellect. Santiago has rejected the life of the mind for a life of interaction and a journey of purpose, which he believes will bring him closer to understanding the language without words…the universal language. Based on the conversation between Santiago and the Englishman on page 79, does it appear that the two have anything to learn from each other?

Pages 80-104

3. As the caravan crosses the Sahara, Santiago and the Englishman each make an effort to gain new insights by practicing the other’s method of learning. When the Englishman asks Santiago what the boy learned about alchemy from reading his books, Santiago sums up his reading in a few short sentences (on page 83). What does he say he learned?


4. Santiago says he believes all the things he learned about alchemy are so simple they could be written on the surface of an emerald. This description, of course, depicts the Emerald Tablet the Englishman told Santiago about. The Englishman is exasperated because he believes Santiago is simple-minded and has failed to grasp the complexity of alchemy. Yet, the gypsy Santiago met in Tarifa told him, “It’s the simple things in life that are the most extraordinary; only wise men are able to understand them.” Who is right— the Englishman or Santiago? Defend your answer.


5. According to the Englishman, how were the alchemists he read about changed by the years they spent “in their laboratories, observing the fire that purified the metals”?


6. Nearly every encounter Santiago has contains a lesson for him, if the boy is observant enough to perceive it. Read the conversation on pages 84-85 between Santiago and his new friend, the camel driver. What life lesson is the camel driver trying to impart to the boy? As you read about Santiago’s response to the appearance of the oasis on the horizon, what evidence do you see that Santiago has internalized the bit of wisdom offered by the camel driver?


7. How does Santiago feel when he meets Fatima? How does he know this is love?


8. Who finally shows Santiago how to find The Alchemist? Why is it significant that it is this person who is the key to Santiago’s search?


9. Why do you think The Alchemist gives the Englishman the response he does when the Englishman tells him what he is seeking? What point do you think the author is trying to make by showing how the Englishman feels once he spends some time following the advice given to him by The Alchemist?


10. Recall that each encounter Santiago has presents him with the opportunity for personal growth provided that he can understand what it is he should learn from the interaction. What lesson is there for Santiago to learn from the fact that Fatima tells him not to stay at the oasis but to go to the pyramids after he has pledged his love for her?


11. Santiago thinks he has seen an omen in the desert. What has he seen, and what does he think it signifies?


12. According to the camel driver, why would God allow Santiago to see this vision of the future?

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