Conceptualizing Desert as a Metaphor in Paulo Coelho’s the Alchemist

Abstract

Literature is one of the finest mediums of artistic endeavour for expressing one’s perception of the physical and metaphysical world. Literary artists use a variety of literary devices to enrich and make their work more meaningful. The exquisite quality of literature lies in the beauty of expression, an expression that is both appropriate as well as compelling. Therefore, whatever observations, experiences, fancies, or imaginations literary artists communicate in literature, they express it in a deeper and enriched way to emphasize its profound impact. Furthermore, life is not as simple as we imagine but rather riddled with complexities. Thus, the expression and description of it also appears a little complex to apprehend, as pragmatic behaviour of life cannot be portrayed in linear expression and humble style of writing.  The language of literature must have indirect conjectures in order to oblige readers to visualize life from a higher perspective by being visionary about it. Hence, the language of metaphors, allegories, and other literary devices should be incorporated to make language more vivid and meaningful to have a greater influence on the readers' minds. Metaphor is capable of expressing and conveying the more complex and subtle aspects of life in a very impressive manner. It leaves an indelible mark in the mind of the reader with its exquisite inscription of the implicit essence of life. As in the words of George Lakoff and Mark Jonson, “Metaphor is pervasive in everyday life, not just in language but in thought and action. Our ordinary conceptual system, in terms of which we both think and act, is fundamentally metaphorical in nature.” (Lakoff and Jonson 3) Thus, Lakoff and Johnson have eloquently and vehemently mirrored the inevitability of the use of metaphors in everyday life. Paul Coelho is one of the luminaries of the literary world who has shown a profound proficiency in employing this literary device in the majority of his illustrious literary inscriptions. The Alchemist is one of his excellent and treasured literary inventions in which he amply applies various literary devices. In this research paper, the metaphor device has been chosen to explore the literary expression of the pragmatic aspects of life. Though Paulo Coelho has used various metaphors to enrich his work, the metaphor of the desert has been explored from different perspectives in the study to realise the multidimensional meaning it delivers about the pragmatic life of human beings.