The Alchemy of Coelho (Perceptions of High and Low Brow)

I had read The Alchemist once before in high school and I must admit that I did not much enjoy it then. I recognized the idea that Coelho is trying to share with the world that the treasures we seek are really just right outside our door and within the familiarity of our home. I guess I never found the idea very profound and have not read it since then. Since taking this class though I feel a new appreciation for the book. Not because it is so profound, because I still don’t really think it is, but because of Coelho’s use of the theme dolce domum.

Since reading The Alchemist for the second time now and understanding its connection to the themes in this class I have a better appreciation of the work. Dr. Sexson mentioned in class that it was the low brow version of dolce domum, while the high brow is the Four Quartets. Then again I feel anything that encompasses the theme of dolce domum is low brow compared to the Four Quartets! In turn I would have to say though that for me perhaps The Alchemist is somewhere in between, more of a middle brow then just one or the other in relation to understanding the theme. Yes it is massively popular and widely translated and circulated across the globe, but then again it has profound themes, that as Sam writes in her blog have the power to change lives. It is basic and yet profound enough to be appreciated by almost all high and low brow people.

While on the topic of high and low brow I have one small rant. To me perceptions of high and low brow seem to shift depending on the person. I am sure that there are even those that would consider the Four Quartets to be at least middle brow. So what is really high or low brow? Are we told what is high or low brow by those around us that we consider “elitist”? Even though we all attempted to answer this question at the beginning of the semester I don’t believe we can. What we or anyone perceives as high, low or even middle brow depends on the person. Yes there will be those books that many feel are high brow, also know as Finnegans Wake, but for the most part we ourselves establish what we feel is high or low brow based on our intellectual capabilities.

I even feel every time I take one of Dr. Sexson’s classes that I am expanding my boundaries on what is classified as high and low brow. Each semester I seem to leave class with a list of books to read and have yet to make my way through all of them, and usually I end up having to purchase another copy due to the fact that my mother reads them and I never see them again. This most recently occurred with The Slave, The Four Quartets, Beckett and The Following Story. I must remember never to “loan” my books to my mother. It’s much to dangerous when we have similar tastes!

High and low brow seem to be terms that fluctuate with society and even our own personal ideas of what those terms mean. After being almost half way through class I feel as if we cannot truly define these terms for all, but only define them for ourselves and our tastes. Perhaps we can be influenced by others but mostly it relies on us to decide.