Oppenheimer's Destiny for Doom

          As high school comes to a close, seniors find themselves making decisions that have an effect on the rest of their lives.  Looking past their excitement for graduation and prom, one can see some doubt and fear as they realize the future is not as distant as it once seemed.  These seniors have made choices on whether they will follow their dreams or play it safe and follow someone else's.  In The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho, a young shepherd named Santiago deals with these decisions as he faces many obstacles that block him from his own personal destiny.  He chooses to leave his life of comfort and simplicity and go on a journey full of adventure to the pyramids.  Along the way, he meets an alchemist who gives him sage advice, "'There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure'" (Coelho 141).  The alchemist wants Santiago to understand that fear is one's worst enemy.  Fear deters people whether they are afraid they will not succeed or their dreams will not be what they imagined.  This is seen when Santiago works for the crystal merchant.  The crystal merchant describes his dream of making a journey to Mecca but admits his fear that it will not meet his expectations.  His dream is within reach, but fear keeps him achieving it.  The Alchemist focuses on following one's dreams and letting the universe run its course as it conspires to help one achieve them.
          Born into a well-to-do family on April 22nd, 1904, Robert Oppenheimer had the opportunities necessary to recognize and develop his passions and pursue his dreams. When he was seven, he received two dozen samples for a mineral collection. This sparked his interest in mineralogy and his interest in physics and chemistry closely followed. Never deterred, Oppenheimer pursued his passion by majoring in chemistry at Harvard College. It seemed his future was intertwining with his present as he explored New Mexico before college, crossing over the exact spot where he would eventually conduct tests on the atomic bomb. After college, he received his Ph.D from Cambridge University and met many renowned scientists, broadening his connections. His colleagues recall him as being extremely arrogant in his abilities. The author notes, " Heisenberg, Dirac, and Pauli, founders of the new mechanics, were only two to four years older than Oppenheimer when they had ushered in the new era of quantum mechanics (...) young man would feel that by just a few years he had missed his chance for immortality" (Pais 11). Oppenheimer knew deep down that he was destined for greatness, but he just did not understand for what purpose. Oppenheimer's pursuit of his dream faced obstacles as his colleagues continued to make ground-breaking discoveries. He lost hope and fell into a state of depression when it seemed that he would be unable to make his own discoveries.
          After receiving his Ph.D, Oppenheimer accepted a job as a professor at the California Institute of Technology, where he continued his research on quantum mechanics, never giving up on his dreams. He said that he chose to work in Berkeley because he loved the desert-like environment. As the war in Europe started, Oppenheimer was angry about the treatment of Jewish people in Germany. He had many relatives overseas at the time. Also, he met Jean Tatlock, a young woman involved with left-wing  activities. She was an active member of the communist party, and Oppenheimer fell in love with her. She introduced him to other members, but he states that he was never a member himself. The two never married, as Jean suffered from depression and eventually committed suicide. In January of 1939, Oppenheimer attended a seminar with many of his colleagues. He became enthralled with the idea of nuclear fission. A colleague remarked that, " 'I do not recall ever seeing Oppie so stimulated and so full of ideas (...) it was his first encounter with the phenomena that was to play such an important role in shaping the future course of events in his life' " (Pais 39). He went on to work on the splitting of uranium isotope 235 with Lawrence. Also, he worked with the United States Office of Scientific Research and Development (OSRD) to create scientific-military projects for World War II. While developing the atomic bomb, Oppenheimer suffered from a lack of self-confidence. He felt that he was unfit to carry out such a significant task. Those who worked with him, however, said nothing but praise of his leadership and his skills. Oppenheimer's self-doubt was the only obstacle keeping him from reaching his dreams. With the success of Trinity, Oppenheimer finally understood his destiny as he made the famous remark, " 'I am become death, the shatterer of worlds' " (Pais 44).

Key Points

• "'There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure'" (Coelho 141)
• Santiago's struggles to overcome obstacles
• The Crystal Merchant
• Oppenheimer's Childhood and Education
• Fears of Immortality and Success
• The Atomic Bomb and his Legend 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8w3Y-dskeg

Works Cited

Coelho, Paulo. The Alchemist. New York: HarperCollins, 1993. Print.

Pais, Abraham. J. Robert Oppenheimer. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006. Print.