John Steinbeck Evil

As humans we are designed to desire what we do not have, what others have, and what we have little of. The feeling of wanting can change our values and morals. We blind ourselves with greed that makes us do things that we will regret in the future. In The Pearl by John Steinbeck, he connects avarice with human behavior by portraying it through the main character Kino. John Steinbeck shows the destruction of a man’s humbleness through the desire of acquisitiveness and the effects it has. As a result we see that within an individual, greed and ambition can consume ourselves which may lead to violence.

Biblical references act as focal points throughout Foster’s ‘How to Read Literature Like a Professor’ and are discussed in chapter seven’s ‘...Or the Bible.’ Ideas stemming from themes such as greed, sin, and sacrifice can be traced within Steinbeck’s ‘The Pearl’ as Kino, a poor man, is desperate to reap the riches of “The greatest pearl in the world (pg 34)” and save his only son from imminent death. At first glance the pearl can be recognized as a symbol for greed----Which is true, because Kino goes to severe lengths in order to preserve the pearl’s worth. Consequently, this results in the gruesome demise of his child and the disposal of the pearl. The idea of greed surrounding the pearl also applies to minor characters. An example of this can be identified with the beggars of the church as they heard the news of the pearl, “For they knew that there is no alms giver in the world like a poor man who is suddenly lucky.” (pg 11) However, the pearl’s symbolism goes further beyond a simple theme.

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.

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

Just like in real life, the characters in literature tend to be faced with very tough decisions in one way or the other. During these times, our decisions can turn us into heroes or make us look like big fools. The choices can thus affect our lives positively or negatively. ‘The Pearl’ is a 1947 novella by John Steinbeck where he tells the story of Kino, a pearl diver. Through the story, he tries to explore the nature of man of evil, greed, and defiance to the norms of society. He tells the story of how Kino found and lost the pearl. In this paper, the argument will be made from the point of Kino as a hero.

The reason bad things happen to this poor family is because they wanted a better life and the guy didn't want to let anyone stop him from getting it. Basically, his wife is superstitious, tells him the pearl is evil, he doesn't listen, so tragedy happens. Steinbeck is actually telling us to be satisfied with what we are and not try seeking for better options

“And to Kino the secret melody of the maybe pearl broke clear and beautiful, rich and warm and lovely, gloating and glowing in triumph.” (Steinbeck 20). This is one of many memorable quotes from John Steinbeck’s classic, The Pearl. While this story is composed of only eighty-seven pages, the author packs the book with more meaning and teaching than many authors have been able to in hundreds. Set in a small village in La Paz, Mexico, the tale deals with many topics, themes, and issues.

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 Pearl discusses how wealth can lead to greediness and all of this links back to evilness. The funny thing about life is we try to do more and more and “live life to the fullest,” but living life to the fullest isn’t an option. This is because more is never enough. The Pearl by John Steinbeck describes this throughout the whole story. Kino thinks that having this pearl in his possession will make his life perfect, but little does he know that everyone’s life is perfectly imperfect. Not one person is perfect, and Kino just wanted more and more until his life was perfect. Kino was greedy and he didn’t understand that sometimes less is more and more is less, and in this case; that was the condition. Kino’s life before his profound wealth was

The Pearl shows a simple idea of how money is not always everything. In the novella the protagonist and the antagonist show how money can never bring you so far. Kino started off with a humble life with a small yet growing family. He had Coyotito and Juana by his side, and the “song of family” whispering in his ears. “and the sound of breakfast, but those were other songs, their pigs were other pigs, their wives were not Juana.” (Steinbeck 3) In the phrase it showed that he had a certain amount of affection towards Juana stating she was his wife and his alone. But when he got his pearl, he started to grow corrupt, at one point hitting Juana and kicking her, and at a another killing a man. In the end even with the money he was supposed to earn

In the novel The Pearl by John Steinbeck the protagonist throughout the book is Kino. Kino throughout the book changed a lot with things like his attitude, mindset, etc. Kino went from being a very happy, family man to a greedy, inconsiderate family man. Kino's overall mindset and attitude change came from the outside influences such as the pearl and the townspeople. Kino became a corrupted character in the book because of the many different situations he had to deal with. In the book the protagonist Kino changes in a negative way because he was corrupted by many outside influences.

In The Pearl, by John Steinbeck, evil transforms certain humble citizens into envious savages. It is this evil which moves the story along and adds drama. It causes the beginning of a happy spirit, but the downfall of goodness and humanity.

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

In literature, a tragic hero is a character of noble birth with heroic qualities. This character is usually fated by some supernatural force to great suffering, destruction, and even doom. Often, the hero struggles mightily against this fate and in the process, wins the admiration of the reader. The character of Kino in John Steinbeck’s novella, The Pearl, while not of “noble birth,” is indeed a tragic hero. He suffers from the tragic flaw of greed after he finds a pearl of great value. Steinbeck, through the use of an omniscient narrator, reveals the human weakness of Kino’s actions in order to teach a moral lesson. At the same time, however, the narrator often shows a certain respect and admiration for the fact that Kino strives to realize his ambitions. He will stop at nothing to make sure he gets a fair price for

In the book “The Pearl” by John Steinbeck, the theme of greed is emphasized throughout the story. Although there are numerous themes that could be perceived from Kino’s adventure, the most prominent is the greed of humans. Steinbeck demonstrates that if you constantly think about yourself, and not the needs of others, that harm will be brought upon you. Also, John Steinbeck shows that Kino’s greed is so great, illusions shown on the surface of the pearl start to force him to believe that he needs the wealth and material belongings more than he actually does. Kino eventually starts to dream about the joy that he thinks that the pearl will bring him, because it consumes him so much that he cannot stop thinking about the good fortunes that the pearl will bring, even in rest. By showing the pearl as an item of wealth and fortune, Steinbeck effectively illustrates that everyone who was involved with the pearl seemed to be harmed in some way. In these ways, John Steinbeck hints at the underlying theme of greed.