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Fatima
a British man who has come to northern Africa in search of the alchemist. He has studied alchemy from books, but he wishes to complete the Master Work—the production of the Philosopher’s Stone and the Elixir of Life—and he feels that he’ll be able to learn these things from the alchemist. He and Santiago develop a companionship, despite their differences. Santiago encourages the Englishman to observe the caravan and the desert more, and the Englishman encourages Santiago to read more. Once in the oasis, the Englishman overcomes his fear of failure and starts to work on the Master Work.
The Englishman Quotes in The Alchemist
The The Alchemist quotes below are all either spoken by The Englishman or refer to The Englishman. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Part Two Quotes
“The alchemists spent years in their laboratories, observing the fire that purified the metals. They spent so much time close to the fire that gradually they gave up the vanities of the world. They discovered that the purification of the metals had led to a purification of themselves.”
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Santiago first learns about alchemy from the Englishman who has devoted his life to the study of its practices, and then he continues to learn about it from the Alchemist throughout the novel. The Englishman focuses on studying alchemy carefully and systematically, whereas the lessons of the Alchemist focus on simplicity and studying the world. From the Alchemist, Santiago learns ideas about alchemy in a broad context. In other words, the principles of his study are applicable to many different contexts. Alchemy teaches a person how to purify metals and how to understand chemical elements, but these processes can also Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Elig
“I learned that the world has a soul, and that whoever understands that soul can also understand the language of things. I learned that many alchemists realized their destinies, and wound up discovering the Soul of the World, the Philosopher's Stone, and the Elixir of Life. But, above all, I learned that these things are all so simple that they could be written on the surface of an emerald.”
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The Englishman asks Santiago to describe what he has learned from the alchemy books he loans the younger man during their journey. In this passage, Santiago explains what he has learned with an answer that surprises the Englishman. While the two have read the same texts, they have learned very different things. The Englishman values the complexity of alchemy and the hard work it requires. Santiago, on the other hand, values its simplicity and universality. The examples he provides in this quote all focus on universal ideas that make connections across places, cultures, and activities. Santiago speaks of the “Soul Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sin
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The Englishman Character Timeline in The Alchemist
The timeline below shows where the character The Englishman appears in The Alchemist. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Part Two
Meanwhile, an Englishman is sitting on a bench in a warehouse. As he leafs through his chemical journal,...
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The Englishman has spent much of his family's fortune seeking the Philosopher’s Stone, which is the Master...
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As the Englishman is waiting for the caravan, a young Arab arrives. The Arab boy asks the Englishman...
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...caravan, but the next step of this journey is a mystery to him. Nearby, the Englishman is also reading.
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Santiago puts away his book and takes out Urim and Thummim. The Englishman recognizes the stones, and Santiago immediately returns them into his pocket. “They're not for sale,”...
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Santiago says that the Englishman must not believe a king would talk to someone like him, a simple shepherd. The...
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The Englishman tells Santiago that there is a universal language already understood by everybody. He says he...
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The warehouse boss arrives, interrupting Santiago and the Englishman’s conversation. He tells them that there's a caravan leaving today for Al-Fayoum. The Englishman says...
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Santiago swears to Jesus, but the Englishman says nothing. Santiago and the Englishman have both bought camels to ride. The Englishman continues...
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...whenever they make a major detour they still continue in generally the same direction. The Englishman is unaware of this, because he is focused on reading his books. Santiago also has...
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The Englishman asks the camel driver if they're in danger from the tribal wars. The camel driver...
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...to travel faster, and the days and nights are passed in silence. One night the Englishman is unable to sleep, and he and Santiago go for a walk. Santiago tells the...
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...of the desert, and how the desert and the caravan speak to each other. The Englishman admits that he should pay more attention to the caravan, and Santiago says that he...
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The Englishman's books teach many strange ideas. In one book, Santiago learns that the most important item...
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Santiago asks the Englishman if observing the world is sufficient for learning to understand the universal language. The Englishman...
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Santiago asks the Englishman why the alchemists of the past have made the processes of alchemy so complicated. The...
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Santiago returns the alchemy books to the Englishman. The Englishman asks him what he has earned. Santiago says that he learned about the...
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The Englishman is disappointed, because none of the complexity and years of research involved in alchemy have...
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Santiago awakes with the sunrise and can see the date palms of the oasis. The Englishman exclaims happily, but Santiago is quiet and content to look at the trees of the...
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...is surprised to see that the oasis is larger than many towns in Spain. The Englishman observes that it looks like something out of One Thousand and One Nights. Curious children...
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...oases no one is allowed to carry weapons. Santiago is surprised to see that the Englishman has a revolver. He says that carrying a revolver helped him “to trust in people.”
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...them about his life as a shepherd and about working in the crystal shop. The Englishman comes into the tent while Santiago is sharing his story, and says that he's been...
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The Englishman frets that they've wasted an entire day in their search, and Santiago says that they...
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...of the war, and then leave with the caravan. Despite this word of warning, the Englishman is excited to hear that they are on the right track.
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Santiago asks the girl her name, and she says it is Fatima. The Englishman prods Santiago to ask about a man who cures illnesses. Fatima says that there is...
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...Santiago returns to the well, hoping to see Fatima. She is not there, but the Englishman is. He tells Santiago that he encountered the alchemist, and told him of his goal....
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The Englishman leaves, and Fatima arrives at the well. Santiago tells her that he loves her and...
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Santiago goes in search of the Englishman, to tell him about Fatima. He finds that the Englishman has built a furnace outside...
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...and that he would need his help. Santiago insists that the omens spoke about the Englishman who wished to meet the alchemist. The alchemist says that the Englishman is on the...
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...cobra with poisonous venom. As he begins to warn the alchemist, he remembers what the Englishman had told him: the alchemist is over two hundred years old. Santiago assumes that the...
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...Santiago thinks of the crystal merchant who wanted to go to Mecca, and of the Englishman and his search, and of the woman who trusts the desert. Santiago and the alchemist...
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