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Santiago's recurrent dream of treasure from "The Alchemist". Santiago, a young Andalusian shepherd, awakens in an abandoned church after having the same dream for the second time: a child transports him to the Egyptian…

early in the story

Santiago's recurrent dream of treasure

Santiago, a young Andalusian shepherd, awakens in an abandoned church after having the same dream for the second time: a child transports him to the Egyptian Pyramids and tells him of a hidden treasure. The dream disturbs him, and he decides to visit a Gypsy woman in Tarifa to interpret it. This dream sets the entire narrative in motion, establishing the central quest of the novel.