Tashi

  High: I went to Troy Daze! And overall had a busy but fun weekend. Low: College applications… Now, I’d assume most people would be surprised that I’m writing about sexism in the Alchemist but it played a larger role than you would’ve thought.  While being written a mere thirty years ago, the idea that women are “supporting characters only existing for men” is quite prevalent. The merchant’s daughter and the woman in the oasis were added just to add some spice to the plot and keep the story interesting enough without only speaking of Santiago’s personal legend. The author could have been more mindful with his placement of women and could have given them the respect that they earned over generations of fighting for their rights but, he chose the easy way; feeding in to the prejudice women have been enduring for centuries. It could be argued that the main plot of the Alchemist has nothing to do with women and that I’m making everything about gender, but the subtleties and the s...