What made Santiago become a shepherd

Santiago would rather know the world than study scripture or learn about mans' sins. He wants to see other lands and see how people live. Santiago seeks truth in being shephard and he seeks God in his travels.

Santiago wanted to travel but his parents wanted him to become a priest. Because Santiago's family wasn't wealthy, the only way to travel was to become a shepard. His father gave him 3 ancient Spanish coins to buy his flock of sheep.

Santiago is the protagonist of "the alchemist". Born in a small town in Andalusia, he attends the seminary as a boy but longs to travel the world. He finally gets the courage to ask his father's permission to become a shepherd so that he can travel the fields of Andalusia. One night, in an abandoned church, he dreams of a child telling him that if he goes to the Egyptian Pyramids, he will find a treasure. Later, he met a mysterious man in the town of Tarifa, who sends him on a journey to the other side of Africa.

Santiago is a curious boy whose open mind makes him particularly suited to find his Personal Legend. He also values his freedom very highly, which is why he became a shepherd and why he is reticent to get involved in things which threaten his freedom. In the end, he realizes that playing it safe is often more threatening to his freedom than taking a risk