Essay On Greed In The Pearl

After the aforementioned low-ball salesmen, Kino had decided that he was going to the big city to sell the pearl there and receive the money he felt it was worth, "For his dream of the future was real and never to be destroyed, and he had said, 'I will go,' and that made a real thing too. To determine to go and to say it was to be halfway there (Chap. 4).” This is where the greed is very noticeable with Kino being very determined that his way is the correct way and even if it meant leaving his wife and sick child behind. There was nothing that was going to stop him from being right and saving his dream he had as soon as he found 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

Steinbeck shows us how, “He heard the rush, got his knife out and lunged at one dark figure and felt his knife go home, and then he was swept to his knees and swept again to the ground. Greedy fingers went through his clothes, frantic figures searched him, and the pearl, knocked from his hand, lay winking behind a little stone in the pathway”(59). People are becoming jealous of Kino and his pearl, and this is ultimately where the trouble begins. Kino has killed a man, and that is prime example of how greed can in fact lead to uncontrolled

Greed is perhaps one of the most destructive forces in this world, it breeds anger, hate, jealousy, and more. The novella “The Pearl” is based on how the finding of a pearl causes greed to be awakened in the hearts of people and cause them to commit evil. During the Novella, Steinbeck develops the theme that greed left unchecked can cause immoral behavior and that is show in the doctor, the attackers, and Kino. All of them are forced by greed to commit sins that they otherwise would not do.

The person that greed affected the most was Kino. He wanted all the treasures of the pearl, and became a vicious and slightly insane man because of it. In the beginning, the pearl gave him happy thoughts, such as him and his wife getting married. He also saw through the pearl: his family affording new and clean clothes, and Coyotito receiving an education. He then started getting greedy and desiring the deepest riches of the pearl. He wanted a rifle, and then went on from there. This quote from page 12 can prove so, “Then to the lovely gray surface of the pearl came the little things Kino wanted: a harpoon to take the place of one lost a year ago, a new harpoon of iron with a ring in the end of the shaft; and - his mind could hardly make the

Although Kino performed many heroic acts, he also acted foolishly in various circumstances. He lives with his wife Juana and his son Coyotito. The novel tells his story when he happens to find a large pearl in the beach that has the capacity to either bring him death or happiness. After finding this big pearl, he believes that this is going to the beginning of a new chapter for him and his family because poverty was eventually going to leave them. His foolishness was first seen when he announced the pearl that he had found making everyone to try to steal it from him. Knowing the worth of the pearl, he should have kept the information to himself and sold it later. After seeing what people were able to do to him because of the pearl, he should have just sold it at the price the buyers said because it eventually led to the death of his son. The buyers only referred to it as a ‘fool’s gold’ and that it was not worth anything. Kino’s greed put his family in danger and caused the death of his only son. Even after he was convinced that the pearl was evil by his wife, he says, "The pearl has become my soul. If I shall give it up, I

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)

“Perhaps a rifle.” ” (Pg. 30). This quote from the book shows how even though Kino is a good, honest, generous man, the pearl was making him want things even though he didn't need them. Like the rifle, the rifle was always known to be a white man's tool, so when he had a taste of wealth, he started seeing all of these things that he didn't need and just wanted in the pearls reflection. Greed touched the doctor and Kino the same way, although they are two very different people with very different personalities and different desires, greed touched them both. Greed touches every character, big and small, in the book The Pearl. The theme greed brings out everyone's true character and shows what they will do to make their hopes and dreams come true.

In the book they gang up on Kino to lower the price of the pearl. They all agree to act like the pearl isn't worth anything but then offer a price that they think Kino will think is good for him but it actually is nothing near the price it is worth. They are effected by the greed heavily because the sell the pearls for even more than they by to make a profit but that they would cheat this man with a family that is very poor shows that they do not have good values and that they are willing to take away from this man just for

In The Pearl by John Steinbeck, greed overtakes Kino from the magnificent pearl, and it slowly destroys his family. Juana wanted to get rid of the pearl before it destroyed them, but Kino “struck her in the face with his clenched fist and she fell among the boulders, and he kicked her in the side” (Steinbeck 58). His emotion muddles his morals to protect his wife because he desires wealth more than the welfare of his family. She begs him to destroy the pearl because the pearl “is like a sin... It will destroy us all, even our son” (38).

Kino is acting greedy when he goes to the pearl buyer to sell his pearl. When kino is on his way to the pearl buyer his brother “ Juan Tomas cautioned “ (45) Kino that the pearl buyer might cheat him. Kino acts greedy when he doesn’t accept the 1000 pesos the pear buyer offers. Kino asks for 50,000 pesos because of his greed, but the pearl buyer refuses. Kino decides to travel to the capital to sell the pearl and to live in a respectful community. But also Kino wants to go to the capital because the pearl thieves were following them. This is how Kino acts greedy when he doesn’t sell the pearl, and his decision to fight for it leads to his downfall.

The Buyers are greedy because they wanted to purchase the pearl for a very small amount, in hopes that Kino would be foolish and take the deal of that small amount. The first Buyer wanted to cheat Kino by offering a thousand pesos (Steinbeck 50). “And the dealer felt a little tremor of fear” (Steinbeck 51) indicates that the Buyer was indeed scamming Kino. The Buyers had to make a life-altering decision; whether to give Kino the correct amount of money or to scam him. “Do not include me in the discussion...

Money cannot buy happiness, especially for Kino, in The Pearl. In The Pearl, the main character, Kino is a poor person with not much to give to others. Until, one day he finds a pearl in the ocean while clam fishing. The author, John Steinbeck presents Kino with a flaw, being greedy which leads to his downfall. Kino can be considered a tragic hero due to Aristotle’s theory about tragic heros.

Another example of greed is shown when Juana takes the pearl from Kino to throw back into the sea. Kino realizes what she is doing and goes after her. Just as Juana is about to discard the pearl, Kino grabs her arm and wrenches the pearl from her. He punches her in the face and when she falls on the boulders, he kicks her in the side. The following quote establishes the violence that Kino unleases on his wife in order to protect his precious pearl from harm, due to his greediness of what the pearl will bring to him and his family: “…Rage surged in Kino. He leaped at Juana and wrenched the pearl from her…with clenched fists, struck her in the face…kicked her in the side…Greedy fingers went through his clothes” (58-59).

“All manner of people grew interested in Kino - people with things to sell and people with favours to ask. Kino had found the Pearl of the World. The essence of pearl mixed with essence of men and a curious dark residue was precipitated. Every man suddenly became related to Kino 's pearl, and Kino 's pearl went into the dreams, the speculations, the schemes, the plans, the futures, the wishes, the needs, the lusts, the hungers, of everyone, and