Paulo Coelho incorporates figures like Melchizedek, Narcissus, and Joseph into his text. How does including historical/mythical/biblical people in his story add to his message? Why is it important to have these figures?

Teaching Suggestion: Encourage students to think beyond simply the messages and/or allusions to these people within the text. Culturally, what does the inclusion tell us? Symbolically? It may be beneficial to point out that these figures are all men, and to encourage students to think about the role of women in this text as well.

Differentiation Suggestion: For struggling readers and visual learners, provide a graphic organizer that sorts out what role each figure plays in the novel, and allow students to draw conclusions based on these diagrams.