Struggle for a Better Life in Paulo Coelho’s Novel Eleven Minutes

Abstract

This article aims at discerning struggles accomplished by the novel’s central female character Maria for transforming her mediocre life into a better one. Her notion of making a better life, as she trusts, is through earning a substantial amount of money after working the assigned tasks decently and convivially regardless the nature of the tasks. Her journey from her nation Brazil to an alien nation Switzerland indicates her resilient determination for a hard struggle for the betterment of her life. Her encounters with ups and downs, and cheers and tears during her chores in diverse fields make her realize the reality of life through her perception of the essence of true love, fake love, body and soul. This article is grounded on a qualitative analytical research in which the primary data that are qualitative or nominal in nature are taken from the novel under study, whereas the secondary data are extracted from other related books and journal articles. Its conclusion based on Maria’s journey, deeds and hardship suggests that life is full of struggles; and it is quite necessary to move up the stairs of hardship to raise the level of life. Money, though it is not an end, is one of the momentous means of transforming a lowly life into a better one to some extent.