Who is Santiago and how is he introduced in Coelho's The Alchemist?

At the beginning of the novel, Santiago, the protagonist, is a young, still innocent shepherd. Because he didn't want to become a priest, as his father wished, but instead he wanted to travel, his father gave him money for a herd of sheep. His father warns him that he won't learn much from visiting other places, but tells him that he will develop a nostalgia for home.

With his herd, Santiago travels. One night he has a dream in abandoned church. He also meets the merchant's daughter and his attraction to her causes him, for the first time, to consider settling down in one place.

However, he feels a strong, restless desire to sell his herd and go in search of his Personal Legend. He must choose, early on, between safety and seeking his dream. As he puts it: “I am between my flock and my treasure."

At the beginning, Santiago has little idea of what he is getting himself into. He is the classic quester, heading out on a journey that will involve struggles and self discovery.

Who is Santiago in Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist?

"The boy's name was Santiago" (3).

Santiago is the name of the boy who is Coelho's protagonist in The Alchemist. Coelho only mentions the name of the boy once at the beginning of the novel. It is a wonder that Coelho doesn't use Santiago's name more often throughout the book because he is just "the boy" from that point forward. Since The Alchemist is a bildungsroman, a coming-of-age story, it is possible that Coelho calls his protagonist "the boy" because he has not matured yet. However, the name "Santiago" is never used again after the first page--not even in the epilogue. Whatever the case, the boy journeys in search of treasure from Spain, across the sands of Africa, to the Egyptian pyramids, and then finds himself back in Spain at the dilapidated church where he began. Along the way, Santiago discovers everything that is involved with achieving his Personal Legend and realizing his dreams.

Who is Santiago, what is his job, and where does he live in The Alchemist?

Santiago is a shepherd and a nomad.

Santiago is a shepherd boy.  He loves the travel, and that is the reason he became a shepherd.  His father told him only the rich could travel.  

His purpose in life was to travel, and, after two years of walking the Andalusian terrain, he knew all the cities of the region. (ch 1)

However, Santiago was a conscientious shepherd.  He also had some education, and continued his education by reading and paying attention as he traveled from village to village, learning from his sheep as he went along.

But ever since he had been a child, he had wanted to know the world, and this was much more important to him than knowing God and learning about man's sins. (ch 1)

When Santiago has a dream where a young boy leads him to treasure in the Egyptian pyramids, he decides to take a journey to find it.  Along the way, he learns that he has to search for his Personal Legend.  He realizes that what he has been looking for has been back home all along, and he returns home to find it.