The Alchemist Glossary-Geoffrey Peterson by Geoffrey

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Slide Notes

The Alchemist Glossary-Geoffrey Peterson

Published on Nov 20, 2015

Geoffrey Peterson

PRESENTATION OUTLINE

Tangier(Location)
-A city in northern Morocco on the coast by the straight of Gibralter.
-Connection: The city where Santiago first goes too and sells crystal here
-Quote: Relaxed and unhurried , he resolved that he would walk through the narrow streets of Tangier."(page 44)

Photo by chenevier

Mecca(Location)
-Holy city in Islam that is located in Saudi Arabia.
-Connection:The crystal merchant wanted to go to Mecca but never went. This helped the boy realize the importance of personal legends.
-Quote: "I thought that someday I'd be rich, and could go to Mecca."(Page 54)

Photo by A.K. PhotoPro

SAHARA DESERT(LOCATION)
-The largest subtropical desert on earth at 9,400,000 km
-Connection: Most of the Alchemist takes place here and Santiago must cross it.
-Quote: "You have to cross the entire Sahara desert,"(page 36).

Photo by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center

CEUTA(LOCATION)
-A city located in Northern Africa that belongs to Spain and is Next to Morocco.
-Connection: Ceuta took customers away from the crystal merchant which causes the boy to try and attract customers.
-Quote: "The nearby city of Ceuta had grown faster than Tangier, and business had fallen off"(Page 44).

Photo by Diskforce

KORAN(SPIRITUAL ALLUSION)
-The most holy book in Islam.
-Connection: Many of the characters are Muslims and follow the Koran
-Quote: "The prophet gave us the Koran, and left us just five obligations to satisfy during our lives"(Page 54).

Photo by Inmigrante a media jornada

Maktub(Cultural Allusion)
-An Arab word meaning it is written
-Connection: The boy is told this and keeps it as a reminder of his personal legend
-Quote: "But in your language it would be something like 'It is written' "(Page 59)

Coptic(Regional Allusion)
-Relating to Coptic Christians who were located in Egypt
-Connection: The boy and the Alchemist stay in a Coptic Monastery
-Quote: "Toward the end of the afternoon, they came upon a coptic monastery."(Page 153)

Photo by Grant MacDonald

TIBERIUS(CULTURAL ALLUSION)
-Roman Emperor from 14 AD to 37 AD
-Connection: Santiago is told the story of how Tiberius's son was remembered for being the Centurion who met the Son of God and his words were remembered forever.
-Quote: "But only speak a word and my servant will be healed."(Page 158)

Photo by Zaqarbal

Scarab
-A beetle common throughout the world that some worshipped like the ancient Egyptians.
-Connection: Scarabs were. Symbol of God in the alchemist and helped him during his journey
-Quote: "During his time in the desert, he had learned that, in Egypt the scarab beetles are a symbol of God"(Page 161)

Photo by Malcolm NQ

Simum(Cultural Allusion)
-A very fierce sandstorm
-Connection: After the boy talks to the wind, the wind becomes strong and blots out the sun.
-Quote: "The men of the desert were already familiar with that wind. They called it the Simum, and it was worse than a storm at sea."(Page 148)

Photo by tobo

King Melchizedek
-In the Bible, he is the King of Salem and a priest who blesses Abraham.
-Connection: Both the boy and Abraham are helped by the King of Salem and he gives them 1/10th of their treasure.
-Quote: "I'm the King of Salem, The old man had said."(Page 21)

Levanter(Regional Allusion)
-Wind that comes from the eastern end of the Mediterranean, or the Levant, to Spain.
-Connection: The boy feels the levant while he is in Spain right before he starts his journey.
-Quote: "He knew that wind:people called it the levanter, because on it the Moors had come from the Levant"(Page 27)

Urim and Thummin
-From the Hebrew bible and used by the Israelite priests to determine Gods will.
-Connection: The boy was given them by the King of Salem and he used the stones throughout his journey.
-Quote: "The black signifies 'yes' and the white 'no'. When you are unable to read the omens, they will help you to do so."(Page 30)

The Philosophers Stone
-A mythical metal believed to change any metal into gold or silver.
-The Englishman the boy travels with was constantly trying to discover the Philosophers stone and went to the Alchemist for help.
-Quote: "and a fragment from that stone turns any metal into gold."(Page 133)

The Emerald Tablet
-A text that reveals primordial substance and it's mutations
-Connection: The boy learns from the Alchemist what the Emerald Tablet is.
-Quote: The Emerald Tablet is a direct passage to the Soul of the World."(Page 127)

Elixir of life
-A mythical potion that when drunk grants the drinker eternal life.
-Connection:The Alchemist has the Elixir of life.
-Quote: "Whoever swallows that elixir will never be sick again."(Page 133)

Geoffrey Peterson