Kino's Emotions in Steinbeck’s Novel, The Pearl Essay

When Kino first finds the pearl, he becomes a different person, and that shows us how ambition can change people. He becomes greedy, and then starts to treat his wife differently. Kino also became very ambitious for the worth of the pearl. When the dealers see the pearl and say it isn’t worth much, Kino ceases to view the pearl with optimistic delight and instead focuses on its sale with determined ambition. From this point on, that ambition continues to hurt him, to the point where his son, Coyotito, dies.

In The Pearl, Kino’s pearl can be seen to represent dreams and the consequences of those dreams. When Kino discovers a large and expensive Pearl, he begins to imagine all of the things he can now afford, and becomes obsessed with obtaining his dreams as shown in The Pearl, “‘This Pearl has become my soul,” said Kino, “If I give it up I shall lose my soul’” (67 Steinbeck) Kino’s hope to become rich, and have a better life took him over, and he could no longer settle for what he previously loved. When people have the opportunity to pursue their dreams, they forget that they were once satisfied in their previous life because they have the opportunity to improve it. Near the end of the book, as Kino had fled from his reality in an attempt to sell his Pearl, “He looked into his Pearl to find his vision… but he saw only a huddled dark body on the ground with shining blood dripping from its throat.” (71 Steinbeck) The pearl provided Kino with the opportunity to pursue his dreams, and because he was unable to throw away the Pearl and settle, he lost his house, his canoe, and his baby son. His hopeless pursuit of his dreams caused him to scorn his once happy life, and return to his home in misery.

His family was really close and they loved each other without money. His obsession with the pearl caused his son Coyotito to die. Kinos tends to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something he does not have but appreciating and recognizing what he does have. Throughout the pearl” Kino and his family learned this the hard way. The pearl demonstrates Kino was already making a hard skin for himself against the world”(29). Kino changes his character throughout the story by his thoughts and actions. In the first chapter of the novel kino is presented as a loving protect her husband who wants nothing more than support for his family. Furthermore to know was cruel to his wife after he found the pearl. Having a lot of money but not being happy is worse than being happy and not having money. Perhaps, people should learn the having a lot of money is not as important as

Steinbeck writes, “And then Kino’s brain cleared from its red concentration and he knew the sound--the keening, moaning, rising hysterical cry from the little cave in the side of the stone mountain, the cry of death” (87). At this point, Kino has lost everything: his sanity, his respect for human nature, his son. As Kino denies the pearl buyer’s deals, he is setting himself on the path to self destruction, and is blind at what is yet to come. Little did he know that he was going to lose his whole world, but he just had to keep the pearl. Because of Kino’s greediness, his son was the victim of

The difference between Kino at the beginning of The Pearl and the ending is the amount of happiness Kino has. In The pearl on page 89 John Steinbeck states " And in the surface of the pearl he saw Coyotito lying in the little cave with the top of his head shot away." At the beginning of the story all Kino had was happiness because he would finally be able to give his son the life he deserved with the fortune that he would obtain from selling the pearl.

“Kino could see Juana in a shawl, stiff with newness and a new skirt, he could see himself dressed in new white clothes with a new hat, holding a new harpoon better than the one he had previously broken. He could see Coyotito, he wore a blue sailor suit from the United States and a little yachting cap, these are all things he wanted, that he could now have.” Kino states everything he wants and can now get in life which makes him more arrogant, leading him on a path of destruction. This also gives Kino something to look back on after it's too late. “In the moonlight he could see the frantic, frightened eyes, and Kino aimed and fired between the eyes. Suddenly he heard the keening, moaning, rising hysterical cry from the little cave in the side of the stone mountain, the cry of death. He hastily scaled the mountain and entered the cave to bear the sight of a small limp heavy bundle. The shawl was dried with blood, and the bundle swayed a little swayed a little as it was held.” Kino has sacrificed the one thing he cares most in the world about for a simple pearl which again proves the point that Kino is truly a tragic hero. Kino believes that if he can come out safely with both his family and the pearl intact that he can live happily ever after, but with the pearl comes evil and death. Later in the novel when Kino is forced to choose between his family and

But as soon as he is overcome he becomes much more greedy and wants more for himself. Towards the end of the story Kino has finally given up the pearl, “And Kino drew back his arm and flung the pearl with all his might.” (Steinbeck, 87) Kino, after Juana had predicted it, had let the pearl takeover his life and he has finally let it

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

News of the pearl travels quickly. when kino and juana return home people start to gather around them. kino starts making plans on what he is going to do with the money from the pearl. he tells everyone he is going to get married, going to buy new clothes for his family, buy a rifle and send coyotito to school. the priest comes to say that the church would need the pearl for repairs, juana respects the father’s words but kino was too busy on hearing the song of evil and the song of the pearl. when everyone leaves kino starts to think that everyone has it for the pearl and he is the only thing in their way. later the doctor and his servant come to kino’s home and he offers his services. he tells kino about the poison and he treats coyotito.

    The pearl plays a big part in the story. It brings down the family, changes Kinos way of thinking, and his priorities. When Kino first find the pearl it brings him hope which is shown through the quote “In the surface of the great pearl he could see dream forms.” (Steinbeck 19) this shows how his hope that things will get better for his family. The hope that he has is also shown when he is talking to everyone. He starts to talk about his dreams and there are four of them “We will be married- in the church. He spoke softly.” (24) This is the first of his hopes. The second

Kino dives to the very bottom and sees a glimmer coming from an oyster, grabs it, comes up to the boat to open it and finds the pearl of the world. The news that Kino has found an immense pearl travels fast through La Paz. The doctor who refused to treat Coyotito decides to visit Kino. Kino's neighbors begin to feel bitter toward him for his good fortune, but neither Kino nor Juana realize this feeling they have engendered. Kino has no idea what to do with all the new money he has earned, but wants to send Coyotito to school.

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

He imagined a better life for his family. Despite everything that went wrong, despite people telling him to throw the pearl away, Kino continued to believe in the value and importance of the pearl. Early on Juana tried to convince Kino to get rid of the pearl, “‘This pearl is a sin! It will destroy us,’ and her voice rose shrilly ‘ throw it away.’”(John Steinbeck 38). Kino would have ordinarily taken into consideration his wife’s concerns and this was out of character. While under the spell of the pearl, It didn’t matter to him that Juana had his best interest in mind when she advised him to get rid of the pearl. Even after Kino was attacked, he was unwavering in his conviction in the value of the pearl, “but Kino’s face was set, and his will was set” Kino was given many chances to throw away the pearl, but yet he was stubborn and continued to believe in the pearl even though his world was falling apart and even though he could lose

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