Dreams of Greed: John Steinbeck Explores the Pitfalls of Material Desire in The Pearl

Kino in The Pearl creates the theme of greed and power can make one’s downfall. In the book Juana (Kino’s wife) hears evil music with the pearl and fears it will tear apart the family and the village. So she sneaks out in the early morning with it and tries to get rid of it to free her family from evil but gets caught in the action by her husband who goes savage. “Her arm was up to throw when he leaped at her and caught her arm and wrenched the pearl from her. He struck her in the face with his clenched fist and she fell among the boulders, and he kicked her in the side...Kino looked down at her and his teeth were bared. He hissed at her like a snake…”(page 58-59) This shows how greed and power can make one’s downfall because the greed of the pearl and the idea of what riches it could bring to the family and the whole village which makes Kino fill with rage when he sees Juana trying to get rid of

“ The acquisition of wealth is a work of great labor; its possession, a source of continual fear; its loss, of excessive grief.” This quote can apply in our lives and even some books we read like The Pearl. In the book, The Pearl, the wealth of Kino and his family is the pearl they find. It’s possession caused them great fear and labor from the beginning of the book, and it caused them grief towards the end. This quote applies to all parts of the book, and we will examine into all of the chapters to take a closer look.

Many people in the world today grow crazy and mad when surrounded by even the slightest bit of wealth and good fortune. Even a strong person who recognizes their priorities can still become corrupt with too much power. There is no better example of a person falling into the path of evil and corruption than in a novel written by John Steinbeck. In the novel The Pearl, by John Steinbeck, the author writes about a poor Indian man named Kino who becomes corrupt from the wealth of a magnificent pearl. Steinbeck uses the motifs of music, light and dark imagery, and values to develop the theme that good fortune, wealth, and prosperity steer even the most innocent of people towards a path of evil and corruption. The reader learns that one

Throughout the book there are many themes and the one I chose to use was greed. Greed was present in many instances like; the doctor didn't want to help Coyotito because Kino and Juana couldn’t pay him what he wanted. He finally decided to help after he heard that they had found a perfect pearl and he wanted it for himself. The priest wanted it to help repair and make changes for the church. “It came to the priest walking in his garden, and it put a thoughtful look in his eyes and a memory of certain repairs necessary to the church”(Steinbeck 34). The pearl buyers also demonstrated greed because they tried telling Kino that it was worth nothing and that it was too big. Kino was a happy and hardworking father until he had found the pearl. The pearl changed him and it turned mean and greedy. When Juana tried throwing it back Kino fought her for the pearl back left her on the beach. Also, the many attackers who tried taking the pearl away from them, which made it to where they were trying to kill Kino, Juana, and Coyotito so they can get the pearl. The biggest symbol that represents greed was the pearl.(Symbolism in the Pearl)

Let us destroy it before it destroys us” (Steinbeck 55). This was foreshadowing when the pearl actually does destroy them. Later in the book, Juana and Coyotito were on a mountain side and somebody shot a rifle up and it hit Coyotito in the head, killing him. This was the turning point for kino because now he finally knew it was

Pres Juarez Lit. Over the course of the book the pearl by John Steinbeck many characters display greed and or lack of greed. In the book the person that is most effected by greed is Kino. He starts the book life a normal and humble life but ends the book in a state of sadness all because of his greed for the great pearl.

Kino followed her and saw that she was about to give up the most amount of money Kino had ever seen. Kino punches his wife and kicks her once she’s on the ground in anger. Kino then goes and walks on the path on page 61 and is mugged by anonymous jealous people. The first thing Kino does when he gets up is say is the pearl’s gone. All he cared about was that pearl evewhen his wife was beat up.

After witnessing Kino go through a change to his personality, Juana believes the pearl is corrupted and that something horrible will happen to her family if the pearl is not disposed back into the sea. When Juana attempts to throw the pearl back into the sea, Kino stops her and beats her for trying to dispose of the pearl. Juana then fears that the pearl has completely overcome Kino with greed and evil. “There was no certainty in seeing, no proof that what you saw was there or was not there.” (29).

Kino is a poor man who lives in a world where his people are oppressed. He is a fisherman, and the fish he catches are the main source of food for him, his wife Juana, and his son, Coyotito. When Coyotito is stung by a scorpion, Kino needs money to pay the doctor to heal Coyotito. To get this money, Kino goes oyster diving hoping to find a pearl. What he finds is the pearl of the world.

The pearl's evil infects Kino like a ravaged disease and consumes his mind. He starts off with good intentions, but they become twisted. He wants to sell the pearl and use the money to better his family's lifestyle. He has dreams and goals that each depends on the pearl selling for a good price. Juana sensing the evil and greed coming from Kino attempts to destroy it. Kino beats her unmercifully. "He struck her in the face and she fell among the boulders, and he kicked her in the side...He hissed at her like a snake and she stared at him with wide unfrightened eyes, like a sheep before a butcher." Juana sees through the outer beauty of the pearl and knew it would destroy Kino and herself. Kino's vision from the soul becomes blurred by the possible prosperity the pearl will bring. The evil invades Kino's life as well as everyone he knows and loves.

The Pearl written by John Steinbeck is a parable, a story that teaches a moral lesson. The focus of this novel is on a poor Indian family. The family consists of three members: Kino, a husband, father, and fisherman, Juana, his wife and loving mother; and Coyotito their infant son. This indigent family lives in a small brush hut along the Gulf of Mexico by the town of La Paz. One day Coyotito, is bitten by a scorpion; a scorpion sting can be deadly to a baby. Kino and Juana are very worried over the health of their baby; therefore, they hope to find a pearl worthy enough for the doctor’s payment to the doctor to treat Coyotito. With luck on their side, Kino finds a pearl the size of a seagull’s egg; he calls it “The Pearl of the

After fighting battles with himself, Kino began to lose his ability to control himself because he was set on his plan for his family that he once saw in the pearl. “He struck her in the face with his clenched fist and she fell among the boulders and he kicked her in the side.” (Steinbeck 59). Multiple instances have occured since Kino first got the pearl, including two attacks to steal it during the night, as well as thousands of eyes that have stared through him and looked into his soul full of secrets, making him feel scared throughout the day and night, worried that those eyes would turn into attacks on his pearl, which holds the future for his family. After Juana, Kino’s wife had enough jealous stares and greedy attacks, she took the pearl and boldly planned to throw it into the water, for it to drown with the wealth and the struggles attached to it. But, as Kino was constantly aware of everything occurring with the pearl, he didn't care whether it was his wife or a stranger, because he knew he had to attack and prevent the loss of the pearl, especially since he has such a close connection to it. “The pearl has become my soul. If I give it up, I shall lose my soul.” (Steinbeck 67). Kino cannot live without the pearl and as everyday goes by, his connection with the pearl grows stronger, and his

A pearl...is it worth $1,000, $100,000, or the risk of the death of your valuable family’s lives? John Steinbeck answers this question with the novella, The Pearl. Kino was an impecunious man. He lived with his wife Juana, and his very young son Coyotito. Together, they lived buoyantly as a family. One day, he uncovered a small yet bijou pearl that affected the whole family and even the entire town! Will the pearl eventually bring wealth and happiness to his family, or will it make the family feel miserable and targeted?

One way greed’s consequences are depicted in this story is through characterization. The novel begins with Kino being described as a poor man who was happy. He was very satisfied with his life and his family. After finding what is described as “the pearl of the world” this once quiet man, begins to take on a completely different personality and perspective. At one point in the novel, Kino is asked by his wife, Juana to get rid of the pearl, seeing its true evil; Kino responds to this by expressing his deep attachment to the pearl by stating, “This pearl has become my soul” (Steinbeck 65). As the book nears its end, the changed Kino murders

After a while, Coyotito had mostly healed and Kino needed some more money so he and Juana and decided to go on his special canoe and go hunt for pearls. His boat was special because it was well taken care of and had lots of coating on the boat. When they went out to sea, Kino dived into the ocean and started to look for good oysters that hadn’t been opened yet. He had collected about a bucket when he spotted a massive oyster that wasn’t with the others. He was very anxious to get to the canoe and open the oyster to see if there was a pearl. When Kino was able to get back on the canoe, he showed Juana the massive oyster and her eyes popped at the size of it. They start to open the pearl and they see this massive pearl in the inside of it. Kino knew this was the pearl of the world that everyone was