Purposeful Distraction: Analyzing the significance of Dust ‘staub’ and Distraction ‘zerstreuung’ in The Alchemist and Brida

Abstract

The subject of distraction has been explored by several writers and philosophers alike. However, most of them have taken the etymological meaning of the word, ‘to pull apart or separate’ too literally and addressed the subject primarily based on the negative connotations attached to it. Paulo Coelho, however, gives the concept of distraction a unique twist in his two bestselling novels- The Alchemist (1988) and Brida (1990). This paper is going to explore the creative, ludic, emancipatory potential of dust and distraction that he champions in his two most celebrated works and how that enables him to contribute to the legacy of removing the stigma off the word ‘distraction’ and infusing it with a new, positive meaning.