However, the central theme of the book is questionable. "When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it." The question is, does it?
Also later, the Muslim belief of "Maktub" (it is written) is repeatedly invoked. Here it may be recalled that in the film "Lawrence of Arabia", when a man is inadvertently left behind in the desert, Ali says "it is written" & does not feel like going back to fetch him, even though he is aware the man will die. But Lawrence, a Christian, does not believe that it is written & goes back at some personal risk & brings him back alive saying that nothing is written.
Also the belief in omens recurs frequently, especially in connection with a white stone called Urim & a black one called Thummim, given to the protoganist Santiago by a mysterious old man to guide Santiago when he is indecisive.
At the beginning of the novel, Santiago meets a baker's daughter, to whom he is attracted & even looks forward to meeting her after a year. But when during his journey to the Pyramids, he meets an Arab girl Fatima, the encounter is described as if it is his first love, completely erasing the memory of the baker's daughter.
At the end he realises his dream of finding a treasure, & plans to meet Fatima. After harping for the whole length of the novel on how one should attain one's destiny, all Sebastian achieves is acquisition of a treasure & an Arab girl Fatima. Is this the only destiny for him, who had studied Latin, Spanish & Theology in a Seminary till he was sixteen (as it was the wish of his parents that he became a priest), but decided that knowing the world was more important than knowing God?
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