Alchemical Perspective

Let’s delve into the views that modern, as well as past, alchemists hold on mankind, this understanding is important in comprehending the basis of the purpose of literary alchemy. They see alchemy as a spiritual path to return fallen man to his Edenic perfection.

Alchemists see man as essentially a spirit-soul-body trypytch, specifically in this order, because the lesser thing must always come from the greater. And they believe that humanity is a seamless soul and body connection with no spirit, because our spiritual capacity, otherwise known as our 'intellectus', was lost when we fell from Gods graces. But through alchemy man can regain his 'intellectus'. This redemption occurs by the character being reduced to their 'materia prima', their basic matter, and undergoing ordeals, and eventually forming a new personality due to enlightenment. This spiritual work is done through correspondence with archetypes that are above the soul, the character being transformed, consciousness.

It should be quite apparent exactly how spiritual alchemy is to you now, but if your personal religious beliefs differ greatly from the traditional imagery that literary alchemy typically uses please do not simply write this concept off, instead, although you disagree, try to understand, and don't concentrate on the purpose being that of man being returned to his Edenic like perfection, but rather of a character becoming more enlightened due to finding out who they really are. An example of this triptych in The Hunger Games would be the Gale-Katniss-Peeta combination.