A Global Nomad: Santiago’s Journey in The Alchemist as a Narrative of Transnationalism and Globalization

Abstract

Transnational books have become more popular in today's age of easier travel thanks to globalization and increased cross-border migration. Literary authors that stand out for their diversity and have gained recognition on a worldwide scale are a result of globalization. Thus, literary studies and the study of globalization are beginning to converge, whether globalization is viewed as primarily economic and political or as more broadly cultural. The current article reads Paulo Coelho's “The Alchemist” as a symbolic narrative of nomadic identity and cross-border existence that is common in today’s era of international travel. By writing a book with characters from several countries, Coelho has created a fictional universe in the book where knowledge flows across borders and overcomes national barriers. The protagonist Santiago's experiences and character growth are emphasized in this bildungsroman novel. He struggles to find and achieve his personal legend which becomes his major goal in the narrative. After a long and tiresome journey, Santiago finds that what he was looking for was right in front of him the whole time. The current article focuses on how the symbolic journey of the protagonist parallels modern-day internationalism and globalization. It focuses on individual sociocultural assimilation strategies as shown in the character of Santiago to understand the text in terms of modern increased intercultural contact and its impact on individuals.