INNER AND OUTER PEACE: A STUDY OF PAULO COELHO’S THE MEANING OF PEACE

Abstract

The pursuit of inner and outer peace has been a recurring theme in fiction, reflecting humanity's timeless quest for harmony within oneself and the world. This research article examines how fictional narratives explore the dynamic interplay between personal serenity and societal equilibrium through. Paulo Coelho’s short story “The Meaning of Peace”. In the postmodern era, many people ignore the value of peace, focusing instead on conflict, materialism, and greed. This research aims at raising awareness about the lack of peace in the postmodern world, where people lack emotional connection due to the absence of peace and brings out the crucial difference between inner peace and outer peace. The selected short story demonstrates the problems that occur when peace is absent from life. The study analyses inner and outer peace through the lens of Glen T. Martin’s Peace theory to propagate the necessity of peace for living a happy and fulfilled life. It argues that people could handle and overcome life’s hurdles better when they have peace, regardless of the situation. Further, the study delves into the struggles, transformations, and resolutions of characters to reveals how literature portrays the intricate balance between internal tranquillity and external conflict, thereby offering profound insights into the human condition.