Question # 2: Why does the king tell his story to be the boy before leaving? What relevance does it have to your life and Santiago’s?
The King told Santiago of a story about a boy who was asked to walk around a castle. While doing this he must admire all the art and paintings, the only catch was that he must hold a spoon filled with two drops of oil, and not to drop any amount. As the boy wandered the castle, he only concentrates on not spilling a drop of oil. He arrives back, but when asked about the artwork, he realizes he never had looked at it. I believe that the King is giving advice to Santiago before he embarks on his own Personal Legend. Giving him the lesson to look around and soak everything in. There is always going to be a roadblock, or something that is holding you back or maybe making you apprehensive. The King is making him aware that all the miniscule things should not get in your way of enjoying the marvelous. To me I can remember several times when I was told to watch out for something, or remember this, or find that. So while trying to enjoy the pleasant scenery, or admire the glorious entertainment, that one statement I had been told is all I could keep in my head. In the end the King just wants to warn Santiago that it may not be easy, it may not be enjoyable at times, but you must not always study towards that small item in your way. So you may start out with a spoon full of oil, then you go out, you relish beauty, you adore, you thrill for more. But when you're done and look down, there is no oil left. But hey, you had the time of your life!
This is really good and agree with what you say except maybe it is a bad thing he spilled the spoon because to me that would be forgetting about your old life you've had for many year just to start a new one that may not last. GOOD JOB!
ReplyDelete-Mel.
I agree and disagree. i like the way you related it to your life and the fact that you could back up what you said. The point is missed though, if the person just wanted the boy to have the time of his life he wouldn't have given him the oil to begin with. when the boy decides to focus on the art he learns more but when he returns without the oil it is almost as if a sheep herder were to go around and be so amused with the scenery that he lost his sheep, the oil is just a small scale of the real thing.
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