Self Discovery Journey in Literature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Self Discovery Journey in Literature - Essay Example The discourse of self initiation should be looked at through the eye glass of the self; the characters created by the two authors display this side of every human being and, the almost desperate search that they start is common for all humans, thus I believe that the personal endeavor and voracious desire for knowledge do not shadow, but rather illuminate my very own understanding of the two books. The confession like statement of this paper that unravels the past fears and discoveries of my self concludes that life and the journey dedicated to spiritual evolution is present in every individual and that such novels as "The Alchemist" and "Jonathan Livingston Seagull" are not only very appealing to the readers, but also manage to bring back into focus the stages of becoming by unweaving and weaving back one's path. The analysis of the given literary corpus proved to reach a difficult point when I compared the styles of the two novels and the two different tones that speak about the becoming of the individual. Coelho's language is easier to apprehend and thus it proved to carry a more explicit message that immediately assures the revelations of the readers in front of a promised destiny. This author's description of the theme 'life as a journey' brings a world of magic and yet simple happiness that seems to be there at the end of the path. Unlike Coelho, Richard Bach imposes upon his readers a metaphor that shadows the plot and the message of the novel. As similar as they may seems, the language of the two novels has two tones: a calm and eventful one in "The Alchemist" and an extortionately dry one in "Jonathan Livingston Seagull". It is difficult and it takes an in-depth analysis in order to be able to set and discuss the intimate coordinates of the two souls that are incorporated in this unf olding. The main idea that this paper managed to discuss and that represents its strong point is the fact that the comparison between the two novels conveys a good understanding of the main characters: the shepherd and the seagull and their dynamics. Leaving aside the plot and focusing on the changes they go through, this paper brings in front of the readers a good understanding of the restless seagull and of the thriving young boy. The paper discussed only a part of the aspects present in the two novels and it did not cover the metaphysical and deeply symbolical dimension of the language. As simple as it may seem, the language used by both Coelho and Bach hides a symbolism that should be discussed in connection with the author's philosophy and not with my own personal believes; the literary analysis of the abstract ideas that come along with the story line is sure to bring a better understanding of the novels. However, this paper does trigger important questions which should be part of a future and detailed study of the transcendental dimensions of the self discovery journey as it appears in "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho and Richard Bach's "Jonathan Livingston Seagull". What's not a part of your paper that you think might help a reader understand or appreciate