- What point does the old man make in the story about the boy in the castle and the drops of oil? (Pages 30- 32) How might the old man’s story apply to us in our modern lives?
The old man makes the point that there needs to be a balance in life between focusing on our goals and enjoying the beauty of the everyday life around us.
- How does the King assist Santiago in recognizing omens? When does Santiago use this help? (Pages 33- 47)
The King assists Santiago by giving him Urim and Thummim. He uses these stones to help him when he has trouble reading the omens.
- How do Santiago’s thoughts and perceptions about himself and the world begin to change on pages 42- 44? Describe 3 things that Santiago sees now that he had never noticed before.
Santiago’s perceptions about himself change when he first meet the crystal shop owner. He notices that he is always applying the lessons he learned with his sheep in real life, that people talk about omens without knowing what they really mean, and that there is an unspoken language that all people of the world know.
When I tried the “Drops of Oil” method of living life, I noticed that it was hard to stay balanced between watching the oil, or working towards my goals, and exploring the castle, or enjoying the pleasures of everyday life. I’m a pretty focused person usually, and while I love the beauty of life, I can easily forget to look for it when going through the motions. As I forced myself to notice the beauty of the smallest things, it became harder to focus on the tasks at hand. For example, noticing the beauty of music and the delightful taste of a chocolate truffle took away quite some time from my homework. 🙂
Overall, I am glad I tried to live my life using this parable because I believe that balance is essential to living a fulfilling and successful life.
Rachel's Reflections 