In the book, The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, there are many direct quotes from characters that really give you a strong idea about who the main character truly is as a person. After reading the first few pages of the book, I can infer that the main character, Santiago, is a smart, respectful, and genuine man who also works as a shepherd. He doesn’t live the easiest life, but he manages and makes due with all that he can. One thing that stands out about his character is that he makes the best of everything in life that he does, but he lives a poor life. It is clear in the book that Santiago is a very smart man. He went to school like everybody else, but told the merchant’s daughter, ”Well, usually I learn more from my sheep than my books.”(Coelho 5) It is clear that he may have learned like most ordinary people, but his learning technique is quite different. He learns things from everyday life, especially through his sheep. In Santiago’s everyday life, many things go through his head, and it seems as though he is verifying his decisions and ideas to himself. Santiago had a thought that really stood out to me in the book. ”He recognized that he was feeling something he had never experienced before: the desire to live in one place forever.” That had an effect on me reading the book because in previous pages, he was talking about wanting to travel and not wanting to stay in the same place forever. Santiago comes off as a very caring person and he has an impact on people, even animals. The novel says, “The day was dawning and the sheppard urged his sheep in the direction of the sun. They never have to make any decisions, he thought. Maybe that’s why they all just stay close to me.” (Coelho 7) With that being said I can imagine the sheep just instantly following him, because they know that they can trust him. With that being said, this just shows that he is a trustworthy person, and even his sheep are able to see it. vb He has a long, lasting effect on them and they have an effect on him too. Santiago is always busy, no matter what. No matter what he’s doing it always seems as though he can’t calm down or take a break because he’s always doing something. An action that is told in the book is,”He drank a bit from the wine that remained from his dinner of the night before, and he gathered his jacket closer to his body.”(Coelho 7) In the book there isn’t a lot of textual evidence as to what he looks like, however there is one direct quote about what seems to be his normal routine when it comes to sleeping.”He swept the floor with his jacket and lay down, using the book he had just finished reading as a pillow.” (Coelho 3) This helps me imagine what he looks like, and really puts a picture into my mind about how his image really gives you the effect of him being poor. He doesn’t have actual bedding, nor a bed to start with. Multiple quotes throughout the story helped me get a better understanding of the character, Santiago.