Previous
Fatima
a British man who has come to northern Africa in search of the alchemist. He has studied alchemy from books, but he wishes to complete the Master Work—the production of the Philosopher’s Stone and the Elixir of Life—and he feels that he’ll be able to learn these things from the alchemist. He and Santiago develop a companionship, despite their differences. Santiago encourages the Englishman to observe the caravan and the desert more, and the Englishman encourages Santiago to read more. Once in the oasis, the Englishman overcomes his fear of failure and starts to work on the Master Work.
The Englishman Quotes in The Alchemist
The The Alchemist quotes below are all either spoken by The Englishman or refer to The Englishman. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Part Two
Quotes
“The alchemists spent years in their laboratories, observing the fire that purified the metals. They spent so much time close to the fire that gradually they gave up the vanities of the world. They discovered that the purification of the metals had led to a purification of themselves.”
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
“I learned that the world has a soul, and that whoever understands that soul can also understand the language of things. I learned that many alchemists realized their destinies, and wound up discovering the Soul of the World, the Philosopher's Stone, and the Elixir of Life. But, above all, I learned that these things are all so simple that they could be written on the surface of an emerald.”
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire The Alchemist LitChart as a printable PDF.
The Englishman Quotes in The Alchemist
The The Alchemist quotes below are all either spoken by The Englishman or refer to The Englishman. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Part Two
Quotes
“The alchemists spent years in their laboratories, observing the fire that purified the metals. They spent so much time close to the fire that gradually they gave up the vanities of the world. They discovered that the purification of the metals had led to a purification of themselves.”
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
“I learned that the world has a soul, and that whoever understands that soul can also understand the language of things. I learned that many alchemists realized their destinies, and wound up discovering the Soul of the World, the Philosopher's Stone, and the Elixir of Life. But, above all, I learned that these things are all so simple that they could be written on the surface of an emerald.”
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
