Tom Thompson
The Jack Pine

1916

Independence

“I learned that the richness of life is found in adventure. . . . It develops self-reliance and independence. Life then teems with excitement. There is stagnation only in security.”-William Orville Douglas.

Along my adventure of life, I have become very independent and self reliant. Like Santiago in The Alchemist, I've learnt to not rely on other people but instead to accept the challenge, and do it myself. This characteristic helps me as a student to navigate my way through the stormy seas of middle school and to carry the burden of the responsibilities that come with my education. It is my independence that allows me to succeed as a student without questioning my ability to complete my own work without assistance. Though at times my independence can get in the way of other people's efforts to collaborate with me, I still believe that my independence is more a blessing than a curse.

18/9/09

Nothing is Impossible

“I am following my destiny. It’s not something you would understand.” (Coelho 40) In The Alchemist, Santiago, a young shepherd, abandoned his modest life when he was told of a great treasure waiting for him in a distant land. Santiago quickly found himself immersed in an adventure. He traveled to many new places, fell victim to pickpockets and thugs, and discovered new things that he would have never been exposed to in his home of Andalusia. With the help of the people he encountered, Santiago eagerly journeyed towards his destiny. Santiago successfully achieved his destiny by being impartial, introspective, and inquisitive.

Santiago remained impartial throughout his travels. Santiago traveled to many new places and saw many marvels that he would have never witnessed in his old secluded life in Andalusia. At each turn, he ‘went with the flow’ and adjusted to every situation that came his way. “They went on smoking the pipe for a while as the sun began to set. They were conversing in Arabic and the boy was proud of himself for being able to do so.” (55) It was at this point when Santiago finally felt settled in the new confusing land of North Africa. In the short time that he had been there, he had learned the Arabic culture and language and had begun to accept that it was not as scary as he had first thought it to be. When Santiago first arrived in Tangier, he believed that it was strange and different from his homeland, but he allowed himself to become accustomed to the strangeness of this new world. Santiago’s un-biased views allowed him to work towards his destiny. He had left the old Santiago behind and begun a new life in Africa. Santiago was unbiased in his views, however he could not have been without knowing himself first.

Santiago was introspective throughout his journey as he grew and developed his new personality. When he first left Andalusia he was unsure of himself, inside he was still an innocent boy. However, along his journey he became more and more certain about the decisions he made and that they were the right ones. His belief in himself grew when he met the alchemist. Through him, Santiago learnt that his heart spoke to him and that it was a resource to consult that could help you make the right decisions. “ ‘Why don’t people’s hearts tell them to continue to follow their dreams?’ the boy asked the alchemist. ‘Because that’s what makes a heart suffer most, and hearts don’t like to suffer.’ ” (126) When Santiago made the decisions to leave Fatima, his one and only love, he was reluctant. Yet he listened to his heart and continued on his path towards his destiny. Santiago listened to his heart and reflected on the decisions he made, but he could not have done it without being curious in the first place.

Santiago’s inquisitiveness also assisted him during the hunt for his destiny. Santiago drew from his curiosity throughout his journey as he stumbled across many things that he had not encountered before. He was clever enough to ask questions and tried to do the best he could to figure out how he would fit into his new world. “ ‘But my heart is agitated’ the boy said. ‘It has its dreams, it gets emotional, and it’s become passionate over a woman of the desert. It asks things of me, and it keeps me from sleeping many nights, when I’m thinking about her.’ ” (123) Santiago looked at the world curiously, through many different perspectives, and made his decisions based on what he thought was right. All along the way he discovered new things and accepted that there was always more to learn about the world. Santiago had to question every action he made along his journey, for he was not familiar with the lay of the land, or the culture in the new world he so abruptly dived into.

After traveling many miles and learning many new things about himself and the world, Santiago was able to achieve his destiny through his impartiality, his introspectiveness and his inquisitive nature. His impartiality helped him to look upon the new world without bias, and accept its confusing traditions and cultures. His introspective nature allowed him to reflect upon his journey as he continued onwards, drawing from his accumulative experiences for the strength to carry on. His inquisitiveness allowed him to grow and become enlightened as he sought answers and learnt new lessons along his journey. After achieving his destiny, Santiago was a new man, more confident and sure of himself. He not only found his treasure, but also love, and his new self. When you try hard enough, nothing is impossible.