Part Eleven

The last, straight-forward question for Coelho is: "What is the meaning of life?"

During his Jesuit education, Coelho recognized that there was one clear answer. During the hippy movement, in contrast, Coelho became aware of 200,000 explanations for the meaning of life.

Now, Coelho thinks the question should be left open, as if you find an answer, you close your universe. He says that if you are close to knowing, you will experience enthusiasm for what you are doing; if you are far away from the truth, you will be bored.

Coelho finishes with a story about signs and omens (see Part six also). The story is about a man, devoted to god, who lives in a small village in Italy. While the man sleeps, he sees an angel in his dreams who predicts a flood, but that the man would be safe. The story traces the consequential interpretation of signs by the man.