How we cite our quotes: (Part.Paragraph)
Quote #7
"The wise men understood that this natural world is only an image and a copy of paradise. The existence of this world is simply a guarantee that there exists a world that is perfect. God created the world so that, through its visible objects, men could understand his spiritual teachings and the marvels of his wisdom." (2.490)
Santiago is frustrated with the alchemy books, but the alchemist shows him that they're not the only way to learn the wisdom of the world. In fact, all of nature is like a giant text book, complete with built-in tests and quizzes and extra problem sets.
Quote #8
That night, the boy slept deeply, and, when he awoke, his heart began to tell him things that came from the Soul of the World. It said that all people who are happy have God within them. And that happiness could be found in a grain of sand from the desert, as the alchemist had said. Because a grain of sand is a moment of creation, and the universe has taken millions of years to create it. (2.513)
When it comes right down to it, the alchemist says, you don't need books or even the natural world. You just have to listen to your heart, and you'll learn everything you need to know to achieve your dreams. Although we bet it helps if you have a fat bank account and come good networking skills, TBH.
Quote #9
But the boy was too frightened to listen to words of wisdom. (2.596)
Fear isn't just a mind killer: it's also a wisdom killer. Here, it gets in the way of recognizing and listening to wisdom from a friend. Luckily, Santiago's going to man up enough to overcome his fear and get the treasure and the girl and all that. We'd settle for being able to overcome our fear long enough to trap that spider that's been living in our bathroom for a week, but whatevs.