The Alchemist

Along with all the make up work I had to complete, I was frantically reading The Alchemist to catch up in English class.

Some interesting things about the book so far:
-At this point, I don't think the boy was madly in love with the merchant's daughter. If you're madly in love with someone, they should always be on your mind (meaning you do not just forget about them), which isn't really the case here. He even said that himself; the merchant's daughter is not as important as his sheep. At the same time, I don't think the author would bring in that character for nothing, so maybe the merchant's daughter will have some significance later on.
-The author always uses the word "boy" and never his name. I think this is done to portray the boy's character and personality in part one. Maybe the author will start using Santiago when he becomes a more knowledgable person.
-The boy's way of learning is mainly through experience and observation rather than through "proper" education. One of the author's message for the readers?
-The King of Salem seems to be omnipresent.
-Between the time period of his encounter with the thief and starting to work for the crystal merchant, the boy suddenly becomes wiser.