Love As A Goal And An Obstacle - 2347 Words

Love is an obstacle that people face and must overcome rather than a goal people strive towards. Compare and contrast the presentation of love as a goal and an obstacle in the texts ‘Candide’ and ‘The Alchemist’. Both texts depict specific theories about the stance love takes in our lives - in Candide, the 18th century novel written by the French historian and philosopher of the Age of Enlightenment, Voltaire, love is presented as the ultimate goal, however also the reason for the occurrence of Candide’s arduous endeavours, made sweet with the constant droning of the mantra ‘all is for the best’. While Candide suffers hardships throughout his journey to reclaim the love he had with his beloved Cunà ©gonde, he refrains from thinking or believing love to be an obstacle in his life. However in The Alchemist the 1988 novel written by Brazilian author Paulo Coelho, love is portrayed to be, as thought by young Santiago, a restrictive force stopping one from pursuing his/her ‘personal legend’. However, love is also portrayed to be a personal goal of the protagonist - which creates a peculiar paradox in which the reader must decide which of the portrayals of love out weighs the other in truth. While in pursuit of his ‘personal legend’, Santiago assumes that his love for Fatima is indeed an obstacle that he must overcome in order to continue pursuing his destiny – and so leaves the woman of the desert for the desert. Candide fails to let go of his love for Cunà ©gonde while SantiagoShow MoreRelatedPersonal Vision Statement : My Vision1508 Words   |  7 PagesThis vision and mission will help determine the steps I need to take now in order to become the type of leader that others will follow. Next, I discuss those internal and external obstacles which may prevent me from achieving my goals. Lastly, I will identify the steps I will take to overcome or mitigate those obstacles. In conclusion, by outlining my desired personal vision statement I hope to have a picture or image upon which I can reflect regularly. By so doing, it is my sincere desire and hopeRead MoreSimilarities Between The Great Gatsby And Trouble With The Cu rve961 Words   |  4 Pagescurve and Jay Gatsby from The Great Gatsby are both similar and different. Lobel and Gatsby both persevere and show determination when there is an obstacle in the way, however, Gatsby is a man in love while Lobel is a man on a path to survival. Lobel and Gatsby both have a goal and they persevere to reach their goal. Both try to avoid their obstacle and get what they want but that doesn’t really work. â€Å"‘How are you gonna scout this kid if your eyes aren’t right?’ asked Micky. ‘I’ll figure somethingRead MoreThe Physical, Social and Mental Obstacles in Eudora Weltys A Worn Path657 Words   |  3 Pagescontinuously, and as she nears the end of her life she will nourish her own son back to health. Her journey to Natchez is filled with a multitude of impediments, but can mainly be broken down into the physical, social, and mental obstacles that hinder her. Almost every physical obstacle that Phoenix encountered is typical of a rural area. The hills, hollows, furrows, and holes are part of the landscape in the deep south. The trek is wearisome for most anyone, but due to Phoenix’s age it was toilsome andRead MoreThe American Dream : What You Love And You Won t Work1412 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"Do what you love and you won’t work another day in your life† This quote is a key aspect of the American dream. 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However, as Everett found, at the end of the journey the goals we achieve are often quite different to the goals we had in mind when we set out. The blind Seer quite rightly states, Â… you will findRead MoreThe Greatest Obstacle Of My Life900 Words   |  4 PagesIn describing the greatest obstacle in my life I need to first convey my definition of obstacle. As I view the word obstacle, it is an impediment or difficult circumstance that causes you to negotiate your way, it is not a barrier that cannot be overcome. The bible teaches us in John 16:33 that â€Å"in this world you will have trouble†. Throughout my life there have been obstacles that created defining moments for me. So therefore my greatest obstacle has been a series of life events that have broughtRead MoreMy Ideal Future1484 Words   |  6 Pagesrespects me and loves me so much with a good career too. And we will have kids, as much as we can afford to have. Have a good place to live which is close to our relatives and immediate family. I also describe my future that my future kids will be a very respectful, loving person who is going to be reaching their dreams. That will be a perfect future that I could ever have. 2. Having described your ideal future, break it down into 6-8 more specific goals - personal, social and career. 1st goal, I want toRead MoreThe Book Mountains Beyond Mountains By Tracy Kidder1357 Words   |  6 PagesMany contemporary stories today contain characters that attempt to achieve their goal through love and compassion. This is a large contrast to the heroes seen in ancient epics who achieve their goals through violence or their own physical actions. It might be because what audiences today value most in role models is much different than what audiences who lived centuries ago valued. Nowadays, people strive to see characters focus on loving and taking care of others to get what they want. In fact,