After discussing Aiden's impressions of the conclusion of To Kill A Mockingbird , we began our study of our first novel, The Alchemist, an allegory. I explained the distinction between a philosophical allegory and a political allegory such as Animal Farm and provided context to the archetype plot of a journey . We then explored the influence of Christian theology in the novel's depiction of a shepherd and sheep and discussed how referring to someone as a sheep can also serve as a pejorative . In this regard, we also reviewed Aiden's homework questions and reviewed how to construct a response that does not create a sentence fragment. Last, I introduced the theme of instinct vs. reason that runs through the novel.