The Alchemist

by

Paulo Coelho

The Wind Character Analysis

When Santiago and the alchemist are taken prisoner by a hostile tribe, the alchemist barters for their release and uses as leverage the opportunity to see Santiago turn himself into the wind. Santiago then listens to his heart, which allows him to speak to the desert, the wind, and the sun, as he tries to learn how to transform himself. Santiago speaks to the wind, which resists his request. The wind is proud, but it realizes that even it cannot transform Santiago into the wind. It blows a storm of sand into the air so that Santiago can look at and speak to the sun without blinding himself.
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The Wind Character Timeline in The Alchemist

The timeline below shows where the character The Wind appears in The Alchemist. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Part Two
Santiago asks the wind for its help. The wind wants to know who taught Santiago to speak the language... (full context)
...just a few moments, so that the two can discuss the possibilities of people and the wind . The wind is curious, and it wants Santiago to succeed, but it doesn’t know... (full context)
Santiago next speaks to the sun, saying that he has learned from the wind that the sun knows about love. The sun replies that from its position it can... (full context)
...is sought, everything becomes better, and love is the transformative force. The desert is static, the wind is always moving, and the sun sees everything from a remove. Santiago has now realized... (full context)
The wind blows harder than ever, and tents are ripped from the ground in the tribal camp.... (full context)
Epilogue
The wind begins to blow, and it brings with it a familiar scent of perfume, as well... (full context)