Explain and give examples from the book of the ways Coelho's title encapsulates his novel.

An alchemist is someone who claims to be able to turn base metals into gold. Once upon a time, this was a very popular superstition, and kings in particular were keen to discover the secrets of alchemy as a means of increasing their wealth. In The Alchemist, alchemy is used mainly as a metaphor for personal growth and development. By the end of his epic journey, Santiago has managed to turn the base metal of his humble origins into the gold of wisdom.
At one point in the story, he observes how alchemists would spend hours and hours in their laboratories, painstakingly attempting to purify base metals before they could be turned into gold. They never succeeded, of course; however, in the process of carrying out their experiments, they gradually came to reject the vanities of this world. In doing so, they purified themselves and their souls, and that's what Santiago hopes to achieve.
The alchemist of the title treats alchemy as if it were some kind of universal language, whose symbols can be applied to all aspects of human knowledge and understanding. For instance, the alchemist says that when one finds something made of the purest matter, it will never spoil. Although he's speaking the language of alchemy here, the alchemist is actually referring to Fatima, using the symbols of his chosen profession to make a point about the purity of her soul.