The works of John Steinbeck have been used universally on scholarly account because of his ability to establish themes in his writing that are relevant to life. The Pearl, is one work that contains issues as ideas that are still significant to this day. One theme, such as greed, is displayed throughout the course of the novel. As each character develops, their intentions with the pearl become evident to the reader. This theme is seen through many of the characters who are eager to obtain the pearl. In The Pearl, the theme of greed is shown through the doctor’s intentions, Kino’s attitude, and Juana’s discontent of the pearl. The doctor, along with common people in the town, is very judgemental and only cares about what he will benefit from, long term. They only want to be there to help if later it will fulfill their wishes for with what they desire. “The doctor looked past his aged patient and saw himself sitting in a restaurant in Paris and a waiter was just opening a bottle of wine.” (Steinbeck 23) The doctor is clearly only concerned for what he will be able to get out of Kino. As …show more content…
She watches him go through the motions and how the pearl corrupts his decision making abilities. “Kino this pearl is evil. Let us throw it before it destroys us. Let us crush it between two stones...Kino, it is evil, it’s evil!”(Steinbeck 56) The pearl is destroying each and every character’s livelihood. They want to destroy it before it destroys them. “It is the pearl.” said Juan Tomas, ‘There is a devil in the pearl.” (Steinbeck 64) The pearl has only brought harm and hardships i.e. “the devil” This is a parallel to how money in society can affect someone. “...It has ruined everyone I know” (Steinbeck/Morris 111) “It” is something that that has taken control of everyone. Greed and social status also come to play because it was something they had never had, something only
In John Steinbeck’s novella, The Pearl, he conveys that wealth can corrupt and change by displaying how the pearl changes the lives Kino, Juana, and Coyotito, leads to their downfall and how it also affects the town of La Paz.
As Albert Einstein said, “Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.” In John Steinbeck’s novella, The Pearl, Kino has a poor family with a wife, Juana, and a baby named Coyotito. Kino finds the Pearl of the World and finally has hope for his family, but the pearl ends up completely destroying his family. Steinbeck shows the theme illusion vs. reality in the story. Not only is the pearl a great example for this theme, but the greedy doctor, and the unsafe mountains show that things aren’t always what they seem to be.
There are such a large number of books in the world that we have soon to discover. Books that convey huge numbers of words that makes a remarkable story that can be significant whether we notice it or not. This specific story, The Pearl, ventures readers through this twisted story in a little town in Paz, on the shoreline of the Baja. Kino and, his better half, Juana live on the poor side of this town with their child named Coyotito. They soon found, as they think, the pearl of the world. They trust their lives could become better, however must to their dismay the pearl would convey obliteration and intense changes to their lives forever. The author, John Steinbeck, believes that greed is a corruption of evil that can only bring
In the novel, The Pearl, John Steinbeck uses symbolism to convey the ubiquitous theme that evil can manifest itself in many forms. In the beginning of the parable, Kino and Juana encounter a deadly scorpion threatening their young son, Coyotito. Kino “begins to approach the hanging box, the ‘Song of Evil’... in his ears”. This scorpion is the first of many hosts of evil throughout the book. It represents an endangerment of family and destruction of security.
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.
In the novella, The Pearl by John Steinbeck, if kino threw the pearl back into the gulf because he feels guilty the pearl represents greed. Before Kino found the pearl he was living a simple life as a pearl diver in La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico. He was poor but rich with his family. He had a small brush house that he lived in with his eventual wife, Juana, and his baby son, Coyotito. They didn’t have a lot as a family, but they did have hope. One day Kino’s opinions on things changes when he was out in his boat diving for pearls. He found, “the great pearl, perfect as the moon”(19) and his life was forever changed. As soon as Kino had the pearl he started thinking of all the things that he and his family could do “and in the incandescence
Greed is commonly viewed across the world as one of the many major character flaws in humans. Greed has caused countless wars and corrupted minds. John steinbecks novella a The Pearl tells a story of a poor fisherman, kino, and his family who's sudden change in fate ruins there happiness and love. Throughout the story greed and corruption are clearly visible as they have a major impact on the villagers. Steinbeck uses this story to convey the theme that the love of money causes greed and corruption.
In The Pearl written by John, not only is Kino the main character, and cause of all the tragic events that happen throughout the book, but the pearl also was a reasonable cause. Kino only becomes greedy and violent because of the pearl. Although the pearl caused most of these abrupt beings, Kino could have stopped himself and his actions that caused so much pain. Kino and the pearl brought many aggressive and emotion changing events in La Paz, but Kino never stopped himself when he had the choice to.
The use of light and dark in The Pearl represents good and evil. This theme continues throughout the whole novel. For instance, at the outset, the pearl represent good fortune and Kino’s hopes and dreams, but subsequently, it represent evil and greed. Juana and many others believe the pearl is evil and, towards the end of the book, Kino throws the Pearl back into the sea, which shows that he has learned nothing. The pearl is not evil on its own, but instead, man turns it into something evil.
In a less developed country where people live in huts and fish in hope to find pearls to sell what could be the role of women. In John Steinbeck’s book “The Pearl” the main character finds a pearl. The reader finds out how the pearl affects the main character Kino and his family, and how they respond to the opportunities the pearl could create. Steinbeck portrays women as being dominated, loyal and nurturing.
The pearl develops the theme by displaying the greed inside of Kino and what he is willing to risk to keep the pearl. Kino was unaware that when he found the pearl every person in the village was after him and his fortune, “Every man suddenly became related to Kino's pearl, and Kino's pearl went into the
The Pearl in Steinbeck’s story of the same symbolizes the corrupting power of materialism which recently destroys everything worthwhile in Kino’s life. In this book, it takes place in a little town in Mexico called La Paz. This book begins with a description of the loving family’s life of Kino and his wife Juana and there infant son Coyotito.
“Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s need, but not every man’s greed (Mahatma Gandhi).” The Pearl signifies the greed of people by delineating the reactions and responses of the townspeople. The struggle of greed on a person’s psyche is depicted in the diction and symbolism of The Pearl. Greed is a powerful emotion and can have dangerous consequences. It can cause a friendly and kind person to suddenly cheat, lie, steal, and even kill. In The Pearl, John Steinbeck depicts a world where greed causes Kino's entire life to fall apart. As Kino tries to gain wealth and prosperity throughout the book, he changes from a wholesome man to a treacherous beast. Kino's desire to acquire wealth changes the Pearl's natural beauty and good luck,
The Pearl is a parable, a story that has a moral, written by John Steinbeck. The novel is based on a poor Indian family who live in a small village outside of La Paz, Mexico along the Gulf of Mexico. The family consists of: Kino, a fisherman and pearl diver; Juana and their infant son Coyotito. Kino’s people live a life of poverty so when Kino finds “The Pearl of The World” the villagers and town’s people all want to get their hands on the pearl for themselves; Lap Paz became filled with greed. This novel like all others is focused on a major theme; the theme of a literary work is defined as a central idea, concern or purpose about life that a writer wishes to convey. There may be several themes identified in a literary work;