Compare two characters from Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist, describing their personality traits, relationship with each other, and/or their flaws.

In Paulo Coelho's novel, The
Alchemist, two characters are on a path to discovery. One will realize his
destiny and the other will not.

Santiago wants to travel so
he becomes a shepherd. He learns many lessons from the sheep that help him on his
journey. He leaves Spain, based upon recurring dreams he has had, and meets some
interesting people that propel him towards his Personal Legend—[which is] "what you have
always wanted to accomplish."

Along the way he meets those
who give him guidance that he cannot at first understand. The old man he meets will help
Santiago, for one-tenth of his herd, but gives him essential advice: not to believe in
"the world's greatest lie," which is that people have no control over their destiny. The
gypsy will help him find his "treasure" if he promises to give her one-tenth of its
value, and she advises him based on his dreams to visit the pyramids. Some of the "help"
he receives does not make sense at first.

With each step of
his journey, Santiago is challenged in his faith—in what he knows—and his willingness to
surrender to the signs ("omens") of the universe, found in nature, that will lead him on
the right path...if he will only have faith. It is not easy, and he
is robbed once, and waylaid another time, but each experience teaches him valuable
lessons.

While on his journey across the desert to the
Al-Fayoum Oasis where he believes the alchemist lives—who can provide him guidance in
seeking his Personal Legend—Santiago meets an Englishman. He, too, is on a journey,
looking also for the alchemist. His desire is to learn the secrets
of "alchemy," turning common metals into gold, etc. The Englishman learns from books; he
does not know to listen to the desert or watch for omens. He believes that books will
teach him all he needs to know. As they travel, Santiago encourages the Englishman to
try to learn the ways of the desert by observation—and the Englishman gives Santiago a
book; in this way, they experiment with the way each one collects knowledge of the
world.

Then
one day the boy returned the books to the Englishman. "Did you learn anything?" the
Englishman asked, eager to hear what it might
be...

"...above all I learned that these things are all so
simple that they could be written on the surface of an
emerald."

The Englishman was disappointed...He took back
his books and packed them away again in their bags.

"Go
back to watching the caravan," [the Englishman] said. "That didn't teach me anything,
either."

When the Englishman
meets the alchemist, the alchemist knows that he is searching for worldly treasure and
that the Englishman knows nothing that holds any true value. The
only information the alchemist gives him is to "Go and try"—to change lead into gold;
though he has tried repeatedly, with the same results, he asks no questions, but goes
about starting again.

However, Santiago's relationship with
the alchemist is much different. First the alchemist listens to the boy's words
regarding the omen he saw foretelling of an attack; he is also searching to see if the
boy has courage, which he does. The alchemist accepts Santiago's pursuit of his Personal
Legend—this is language the alchemist understands, and so Santiago and the alchemist
work together, and Santiago ultimately finds his
"treasure."

Books have no answers for the Englishman, and
he cannot find omens around him, but the world—nature—provides Santiago with what
he needs to succeed. Perception here is
everything.