Answer: Their cultural background affects the story since they both a similar journey. Both of them were born in a place but moved out to follow their dreams.
Explanation: When Paulo Coelho wrote "The Alchemist", he made the character Santiago very similar to him. They both grew up in a Spanish speaking country, to later move to another place in order to pursue their dreams. They both had a rough start and did not achieve their goals at first, but they succeeded in the end. Santiago went through several impediments when he headed to Egypt's pyramids. Likewise, Coelho's work, including "The Alchemist" itself, was not popular until several releases after.