入圍
姓  名 尤光卉 學  校 高雄市立高雄女子高級中學 年  級 二 年 十六 班

 

 

Dream Catcher

Everyone has his or her own dreams; few people can really fulfill their dreams, though. What’s the matter with those so-called dreamers? The most influential writer in Latin America, Paulo Coelho, hits the nail on the head about the phenomenon in his novel The Alchemist.

Santiago, the leading character in the story, was a shepherd who loved travelling. He dreamed twice of finding the treasure buried somewhere close to the Pyramids. In an effort to pursue his goal, he traded his sheep off, crossed the Strait of Gibraltar and the desert, and eventually found the treasure in an abandoned church where he had once stayed overnight with his sheep. Yet, the most valuable things were not the treasure he found but what he had learned during the journey, in which he dealt with various people, including the Gypsy woman, the king of Salem, the Englishman, the alchemist, and Fatima. Apart from them, which impressed me the most are the Urim and Thummim, crystal, and wind.

To begin with, the Urim and Thummim were two stones from the king of Salem, a wise greybeard, who gave Santiago directions. The king told him that the black stone signified “yes”, and the white one means “no.” Santiago could ask them for the omens whenever he couldn’t take a decision. But Santiago had to try to find out his way by himself before using stones, for the Urim and Thummim were merely used to judge whether a person was innocent or not in the past. Thus, no matter what omens they show, people still have to make the final choice about whether follow them or not, and take on the responsibility of the outcome. The question is, how come people don’t just follow their hearts straight? As the alchemist mentioned, “Where your treasure is, there also will be your heart.”

On top of that, crystal encouraged Santiago to hold on by sponsoring him travelling expenses. Although Santiago once thought about giving up the investigation after his belongings were stolen, he plucked up the courage and recommended himself to a crystal shop keeper. He not simply helped wipe the crystal but made some innovations upon the merchandises with his creativity as well. Much to my surprise, the business took a turn for the better gradually! The crystal shines after being polished; we human beings are no exception. One won’t succeed without challenges, just like what the king of Salem said, “Treasure is uncovered by the force of flowing water, and it is buried by the same currents.”

Last but not least, the wind, which blew while Santiago was determining his future, is the way to read the Soul of the World. The wind blew whether Santiago decided to abandon his destiny or changed his mind to pursue his dream. It watched the earth and gave those who have perseverance a glimmer of hope in time to get closer to their goal. The wind was free so that it could ignore any sorrow and misery just like a kid could. As a result, it is just near the Soul of the World, the pure heart, although it wasn’t the hand that wrote all. Humans communicate with the Soul of the World via the common language everyone knows in the heart, which we call “love.” It needn’t any explanation. For me, love not only lets me own the whole world but makes me a creator to change everything in the world. I regard the wind as my family and friends. They always respect every decision I made, provide me everything I need in my process of growth, cheer for me when I achieve my goal, and share love with me unconditionally.

Perhaps most people are just like the baker in this novel, thinking of earning more money in the hope of hugging their dreams someday in the far future. What on earth are human beings afraid of? In fact, “People are capable, at any time in their lives, of doing what they dream of,” said Paulo Coelho. Stopping hesitating, I am going to hit the road right away!