Assignment Requirements
Essay on The Alchemist
Coelho uses the term “personal legend” to describe Santiago’s quest. Define the term “personal legend” as you understand it through the text. Coelho implies or explicitly states some approaches to life that will help an individual achieve his/her legend. For example, he states that courage is “an essential quality” to reach one’s legend (111). For your prewriting, list at least five such traits that are evident through your reading. Then choose two of those traits and develop a three (full) page essay, applying these character traits to your own personal legend. In creating topic sentences, remember to further split the traits into sub-categories. Don’t expect to develop one body paragraph per trait. Each trait has various aspects that can be developed into more than one body paragraph. Develop your body paragraphs by analyzing your topic sentences and supporting your viewpoints with evidence from your research that pertain to your goal. Weave in quotes from the text as they pertain to any of your ideas. Remember to use your own voice as you are connecting and analyzing evidence from your research as well as evidence from the text.
After you draft your essay, read it with a critical eye, asking yourself the following questions:
Does your essay have a capturing introduction?
Is your thesis clear? Does it pertain to the prompt?
Is each topic sentence focused? Does each topic sentence pertain to the thesis?
Does each body paragraph develop the topic sentence with analytical details?
Does each body paragraph include evidence from research that connect to your personal legend?
Does each body paragraph show the connection to the text?
Is your voice heard? Is there enough analysis?
Does the conclusion bring the essay full circle? Is the conclusion memorable?
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