Lawrence's Two Sons: Archaeology and Military Genius

        Lawrence, a true example of a man of desert, experiences much of the sandy wasteland, not only physically but the harsh yet tempering effects of following his calling.  Similar to the Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, Lawrence takes action in order to find his calling in life and pursue his personal legend.  However unlike Santiago, Lawrence while famous for his actions ends up giving up his dream in order to aid others.   Lawrence began life in a rather interesting position of being a bastard child of a baron who gave up his title to run off with one of their servants.  Lawrence himself seems to know what he wants from an early age as he pursued architecture in ancient buildings seriously.  After graduating from college in England he sets off in his adventure to study the castles in Arabia and compare them to the European ones he has already studied.  Whether one believes in omens or not, it is this first journey to the East that whets Lawrence’s appetite for this area and puts him on course to pursue his legend in this section of the world. 

                While Lawrence starts off on the right foot, he ends up tangled up by a quite large obstacle; World War I.  The tension between the Turks foreigners was already present but even in this tense situation Lawrence was able to find his calling.  Lawrence, now well networked in the area of archaeology is offered a job to work in Syria after having been involved for awhile on other digs.  “He sailed on December 10, 1909, for Beruit, and what would be the happiest years of his life” (Korda 179).  Here he was content as he balanced his life of adventure with archaeology.  Yet Lawrence is known as a Hero of War in the Arab Nations not as the world famous archaeologist.  Regardless of having accomplished his dream, Lawrence was to be part of World War I.  This is not to say Lawrence was ill suited for the task, in fact his work in the desert made him the perfect candidate with his mapping skills, and familiarity with the area and customs of the people.  In fact this whole situation bears a close resemblance with Santiago’s run in with crystal merchant, just reversed in terms of order.  Like Santiago, Lawrence is quite good at his job and profits tremendously in terms of his fame.  However similar to how Santiago feels driven to complete his quest, Lawrence feels remorse for not having the chance to go back to his real calling.  Another example in the Alchemist is the time where Santiago after reading the Desert has to decide to whether to stay in the oasis as a sear, but regret never pursuing his legend, or to go.  Lawrence after the war does try to go back to his life before the war, but “neither the British nor the French government would tolerate the presence of Colonel Lawrence, a magnet for Arab nationalism and discontent, digging among the ruins of Carchemish, or anywhere else in the Middle East” (Korda 490).  Unfortunately for Lawrence, he has become the Crystal merchant or desert sear and ends his days wishing he had kept with his dream.

               

        Even though he was at war, Lawrence never gave up trying to find his place in a way that he could potentially find a personal legend amid this strife.  Lawrence, having grown fond of the Arabs after spending so much time with them, felt the need to give them the freedom he believed they deserve.  Hoping to find his calling this way he engrossed his entire self into their cause, but it was all in vain.  “In essence this was the feeling that would motivate Lawrence throughout the rest of his life: the belief not just that he had failed the Arabs by not getting them the state and the independence they had fought for, but that was rendered, by what he had done, seen, and experienced, permanently unclean, unfit for the society of decent people” (Korda 435).  No matter how much Lawrence fought, he had no ability to prevent the entire nation of the Arabs from being subject to the Imperial powers.  Instead of feeling exuberance from his work in the Middle East he simply felt guilt and regret as he spent so much time and effort but receiving no joy from his work.  There are many people who are willing to put up with setbacks in the pursuit of their calling, such as when Santiago is left without money after being robbed numerous times.  However for Lawrence, more guilt comes from the fact that the work he has done is to satisfy others without any benefit from his work.  Not that he did not receive anything for his accomplishments, in fact he became world famous, but he himself did not feel spiritually fulfilled.  This sad tale is similar to the story the Alchemist tells to Santiago about how people sometimes change the world without knowing it.  Lawrence I feel embodies all three characters in the story of the Emperor Tiberius and his three sons.  Lawrence’s personal legend of being an archaeologist, who researched the past, is like the son who wrote poems; his work was soon forgotten.  Lawrence’s role in the Middle East is the son in the military who ends up causing great lasting change.  And Lawrence himself is the Emperor Tiberius, who believes that his personal legend, or son’s poetry will be the one remembered and is surprised when he finds out that people really only remember him for his military success.

Works Cited

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

Korda, Michael. Hero The Life and Legend of Lawrence of Arabia. New York: Harper Collins, 2010. Print

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.

Anthony Kiedis: Scar Tissue

Children are often seen as reckless, unafraid, and invincible. Children are ignorant to the world around them and the consequences of their actions. Because of this, often commit daring feats that no sane person would. In the Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, Santiago embarks on a journey to find his personal treasure. In the novel, Santiago is a sheep farmer, without family and real responsibility. Santiago can be seen as a child who is unaware of his consequences as he embarks on his journey. He becomes this figure that readers want to become, a leader in chasing a personal legend. Unfortunately, the common reader, unlike Santiago, has many responsibilities. Coelho paints a picture of a perfect situation in which to chase a personal legend, one without responsibility and family. In modern day, chasing a personal legend with responsibilities may take years or may never happen.

Santiago's responsibilities are dramatically different compared to Kiedis'. In Scar Tissue, Kiedis is a drug addict who grew up in Hollywood trying to make it big in his band, The Red Hot Chilli Peppers. At a young age, Kiedis didn't have the conventional childhood. Kiedis learned to survive on his own, stealing at age 6 and lying constantly. At school, young Kiedis was urged on by his teachers to pursue writing and poetry, a hobby that would later become his personal goal. In the alchemist, Paulo explains how goals can be achieved, “And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” In Kiedis' case, teachers were helping him achieve this way to express himself. When Kiedis decided to ignore their advice, the universe began to take his negative attitude and further put him on a track to failure. Kiedis' addiction grew until it almost got him kicked out of the band. It was only when his ability to express himself did Kiedis begin to fully seize writing and performing. By writing and performing without drugs, the universe began to help Kiedis, supporting his band and allowing it to 'make it big'.

.As Kiedis grew older, he began to develop more responsibility as well as a drug addiction. Kiedis had to learn to balance leading his band and supporting his terrible lifestyle of drugs. While in the band, Kiedis wrote songs to express himself just as his teachers has urged him on to do. Writing and performing were Kiedis' dreams; sadly, there were many obstacles in the way. Unlike Santiago, Kiedis had band members to answer to if he ever did something wrong. His band was a very weak support system but still motivation to quit drugs. In the novel, Drugs are definitely Kiedis' main enemy, stopping him from fully expressing himself.

In the novel, Kiedis expresses his true feelings of performing, "I thought [performing] was the most beautiful thing and this was how the world was responding (244) "

Queen Noor al Hussein of Jordan: Insha'Allah

http://bit.ly/RENC8V

In the religion of Islam, the phrase Insha'Allah means 'God-willing'. It acknowledges submission to God and willingness to follow God's plan. In Paulo Coehlo's novel, The Alchemist, Maktub is used as well when talking about similar situations of fate. Maktub, means written and fits right along side with the phrase Insha'Allah. Coelho's novel follows the journey of a young Shepard named Santiago to discover and fulfill his personal legend. Along the way, omens and fate play a huge role in the base of the novel. Set in a similar Arab world, the life of Lisa Halaby, whose later conversion to Islam changes her name to Noor al Hussein, follows a path to discovering her personal legend. Fate and omens become apparent to the reader in Queen Noor's memoir, Leap of Faith. The memoir follows her life including her upbringing, beliefs, marriage to King Hussein of Jordan and their struggles to create positive changes and peace in the Middle East. Fate plays a major role in the life of Noor with her husband. Even from her beginnings in America, there were signs and omens of her future to come. Her conversion to Islam gathers further parallels between Paulo Coelho's Alchemist and Queen Noor's life and beliefs. Noor takes a leap of faith to discover her path in life and continues to take risks in her journey to create positive change in Jordan.

http://bit.ly/1sCEOgW

One of the major components of both books is the idea of finding one's personal legend and the steps moving them towards the goal. In Queen Noor's life, there were clear moments when she was being pushed her along towards her true personal legend. A major factor that pushed her towards moving to see her ancestor's roots in the Middle East is the fact that as she grew up, she became distrustful of American society. Lisa Halaby grew up during the societal upheaval of the civil rights movement and immediately was against the injustice that African Americans were facing. Her grandmother made a comment when Lisa was at her house when Martin Luther King Jr. was making a statement about the actions of the racist Alabama governor, George Wallace. Lisa praised King but her grandmother was praising Wallace and this realization pushed the two to have an argument that ended up changing Lisa's relationship with her grandmother from that point onwards. That disagreement pushed Lisa into wanting to go back to her ancestral roots in the Middle East.  She mentions in her memoir how watching Lawrence of Arabia resonated and captivated her and her interest with her roots. Lisa grew up during the Vietnam War and was strongly against the war. These events set the tone for Lisa's views on America as well as injustice in the world. These events help shaped her views to help push her in the direction of her personal legend. 

She was inspired at a young age by her parents involvement in politics and she volunteers to help teach those in poverty stricken areas. Volunteering greatly humbled her and set the base for her future endeavors. At one point she gets so disillusioned in her college year that she runs off to Aspen in Colorado.The world conspires in her favor to help her get back on track because she attends a conference on architecture and worked on an environmental project which reinvigorated her and her desires. She majored in architecture and urban-planning at Princeton which perfectly set her up for her future career. She was finding what she wanted to do, and what she wanted to do was make a difference in the world. She gained an opportunity to work in Iran and then made her way to Jordan. In Iran, she becomes truly inspired to work for human rights and bridge a connection between the East and West. The Palestinians struggles become real to her as she can see it in person and it becomes a problem that she embraces with her heart and soul to help correct. Seeing her fellow Arabs suffer sparks her desire to make change and brings her to a pivotal point where she must decide to stay in the East to continue work or go back West to America to go back to school for journalism. She is fearful but takes the chance and it pays off well for her.

http://www.kinghusseinfoundation.org/gallery/gallery1/photos/06.jpg

Lisa Halaby meets and starts a relationship with the recently widowed King Hussein of Jordan and after a short period of time he proposes to her. Although she deeply care for the King, she is unsure of what she should do. She becomes fearful of marrying the King and the repercussions. She takes two weeks to mull over the proposal until she finally comes to one of the most pivotal decisions of her life. She realized that her marriage was not just a marriage, but a partnership to help change the country for the better; "That realization, too, helped me make up my mind. I had a job to do for a country I already loved, and an extraordinary man as a partner. Together we could make a difference" (Noor 90). After so much fear of taking the chance to continue on her path, she takes the leap of faith. She overcomes her fear and is not held back. She knows that the future is uncertain but that she will always have her work and her country to see her through. In The Alchemist, Santiago comes across a crystal merchant. The crystal merchant confesses to Santiago about his dream that he had that he never realized due to fear. Because the crystal merchant was too fearful to lose his dream, he never went after. This character shows Santiago what fear does to those chasing their dreams. Luckily for Lisa, she was able to overcome her fear of the unknown to continue on to completing her personal legend.  Before her marriage ceremony, she converts to Islam and receives a new name, Noor al Hussein, which means the Light of Hussein. Her path is ready to begin anew with a higher platform to facilitate the difference in the world.

http://bit.ly/1l9EkZz

Queen Noor's marriage leaves her stranded and on her own to decide what she wants to do. After  much contemplation she comes to a few conclusions about her new role as monarch. First, she decided that she wants to be more than a figurehead and has a desire to solve real problems, similar to if she had still been an urban planner. She is determined to overcome this idea that a Queen does not do anything except idly by the throne. Her plan is to fill gaps in failing developmental programs and concludes that she has a "desire to focus on significant developmental initiatives - cultural, social, and environmental" (137). This is her personal legend. From this point and on she makes momentous change to the country of Jordan. She is appointed chair of Jordan's National Committee for the Child in 1979 and makes headway with schooling, immunizations, and living conditions of families. They rectify the Convention on the Rights of the Child which is the most widely accepted human rights document and inspires all regions of the world to do the same. So much humanitarian work is completed that in the late 1980's UNICEF recognizes Jordan's advancements in human development. Throughout her reign she works with the World Wide Fund for Animals (WFF) and tries to assist with other environmental issues. Most importantly, Queen Noor helps her husband strive to find peace for the Arab countries and their struggle for peace lasts the entirety of their marriage. Similar to Santiago, Noor makes sacrifices to help pursue her personal legend. Santiago's love interest, Fatima, insists on him fulfilling his personal legend and that she would wait for him. Noor makes a similar sacrifice to Santiago's to help her cause. She decides to leave for America for a few weeks to make speeches are universities about the situation in the middle east, leaving her husband and her children in Jordan. She knows she has to leave her family to help sway America's view of Jordan. She is best for this because of her special connection to both countries. She is very successful in her speeches and makes headway for her cause. Her crowning moment comes in 1985 when the Noor al Hussein foundation is established by royal decree. By doing so, all her projects come under one leadership and she is able to do even more work to help improve conditions in her beloved country. She comments, "The meaning of the name, reflected over our mission to help realize the King's vision for our people to provide greater opportunity and hope" (Noor 246). Ultimately, the Queen accomplished so much for her people. She spent twenty years working and striving for positive change. Even when she received setbacks from multiple wars that occurred, she was ready to build it back up again. At one point, she is called a traitor by Mrs. Barbra Bush for speaking out against the Iraq war stating that war bring pain and suffering to people. Even after the backlash, her soul is fulfilled by the work she does and she states, "I derived great satisfaction from my work...at the end of the day I honestly felt that I was spending my time as I always hoped I would, in service of making a difference" (Noor 257).

http://bit.ly/REPnTt

In the Queen's eyes, she has been able to carry on with her journey because of her belief and submission to God. Towards the end of the memoir, the King falls ill and they found out that he has cancer. During his intense treatment, his family and country looks to Allah for support during prayer. When the King is receiving treatment at the Mayo Clinic as well as when he is trying to recover ate Wye, Noor and Hussein see geese fly nearby. They see it as an omen and a symbol of hope from God and support from him. Noor mentions the symbolism in the fact that geese mate for life and later on her sister-in-law gives her a pin of two geese as a present. When the King returns home to Jordan, the first rain of the winter begins and they believe that to also be an omen for his return to Jordan. Sadly, the King falls ill very quickly and it becomes clear that he will not survive. When the King dies, it begins to downpour while his body faces to Mecca. They see this also as a sign from God, that the King has arrived to see Allah. These and other omens are spread throughout the memoir and to Noor and her husband are supported by them and their belief in Allah. In Paulo Coelho's novel, the personal legend is not only a journey to fulfill it but also a spiritual and religious one. Santiago has many run ins with omens sent from the Soul of the World as well as instances where he looks towards the wind, desert, and sun to help him. By reaching out to these aspects of the Soul of the World, he is reaching out to connect to it, trying to become whole. As the memoir comes to an end, the Queen reflects: "I continue to thank God for the leap of faith I made as a young woman... I pray that our children will walk in a peaceful Jerusalem. Insha'Allah" (Noor 435). Noor's faith in God has brought her strength and she realizes that her personal journey comes from Allah. She ends her memoir in a memorable, but concise way that is relatable to Paulo Coelho's novel.

Queen Noor al Hussein's personal journey took shape after her leap of faith. After realizing her personal legend, she took the necessary steps towards achieving it by overcoming fear, listening to the omens, and seeing her journey laid ahead of her. The most interesting part of her whole journey, is that she was foretold it. When she was in Iran, she had her fortune told in the traditional Middle Eastern way; in a cup of coffee beans. She was told she would return to Arabia and marry an aristocrat, and that she did. She ends her memoir with the phrase Insha'Allah, meaning God-willing. It seems from the start, it has been God's will for her entire journey. Similarly, in Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist, Santiago follows through with his personal journey after many speed bumps in the road. Ultimately, he is able to complete his journey. The word Maktub having to do with fate is mentioned often. In both books, the similar qualities are shared with regards to life and both protagonists put their fates into the Soul or God they believe in, and both reap the rewards.




Bibliography
Coelho, Paulo. The Alchemist. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1993. Print.
Noor, . Leap of Faith: Memoirs of an Unexpected Life. New York: Miramax Books, 2003. Print.

Personal Legend Biography Assignment

For this project you have selected a biography based on a famous individual and you are actively reading this individual's life story to identify whether or not the person's goals, actions, experiences, and accomplishments fall in line with the paradigm or system of belief that Paulo Coelho develops in his novel, The Alchemist.

The Blog Post Written Component and Presentation:

• Write a 3-5 paragraph response relaying your understanding of the major concepts present in The Alchemist and whether or not your believe your selected individual's biography reveals the pursuit of one's personal legend.
• Provide at least 2 specific passages from The Alchemist as you establish your understanding.
• Provide at least 2 direct quotations form the biography.
• Include use of multi-media in the form of pictures and/or video to enhance your project.
• Highlight key moments from your paragraphs or form a key point bullet list at the end of your post.
• Include the works cited at the end of the post.  Please maintain MLA format.