A Quest for Human Existence in Paulo Coelho's The Pilgrimage

Abstract

Paulo Coelho's The Pilgrimage fore grounds the main narrator's apparent spiritual journey which, in turn, delves into an existential journey of authentic being. Once the narrator has possessed a remarkable sword charged with indecipherable mystery, he happens to lose it. The loss of this sword throws him into the world of despair, desperation and despondency. To overcome the despair emerging from his hollow existence the narrator starts his journey to Santiago, one of the renowned centers of spiritual holiness where he regains his lost sword. The entire spectrum of his existential being shines brightly, making him aware of the authenticity of his own being and existence, once he regains his lost sword. Thus the present research work contends his journey as an attempt for existential quest and fulfillment.