The protagonist, Santiago, is a shepherd hailing from a small town in Andalusia, Spain. From the beginning of the novel, he is portrayed as headstrong and determined, though with an innate curiosity that guides him through his journey. He loves to read and—even as a lowly shepherd—he is always searching for new books to read and new worlds to explore. From a young age, he was trained to be a priest. However, he left the seminary in his teenage years, unsatisfied with the direction his life was taking. Though his parents were invested in him becoming a priest, they gave him their blessing and enough money to buy the first few sheep of his flock.

As a shepherd, Santiago loves that he can travel around the countryside. He wants to return to the small town where he met a girl the previous year; he has been thinking about her ever since and dreams of marrying her. At first, these dreams are somewhat conservative. Though Santiago is ambitious—he wants to travel and does not settle for life as a priest—he is still limited in his ambition. He worries that a girl will not want to marry a lowly shepherd.