Oppression

At the beginning of the story they both felt content and happy as show in this quote “Sometimes it rose to an aching chord that caught the throat, saying this is safety, this is warmth, this is the Whole.”. They did not even speak because their understanding was so great. But after Kino found the pearl his relationship steadily deteriorates as shown in this quote “"Kino," she said huskily, "I am afraid. A man can be killed. Let us throw the pearl back into the sea." "Hush," he said fiercely. "I am a man. Hush.”. That shows that as time goes by Kino is acting ruder and harshly to Juana all because of the greed the pearl caused. Another example is "This thing is evil," she cried harshly. "This pearl is like a sin! It will destroy us," and her voice rose shrilly. "Throw it away, Kino. Let us break it between stones. Let us bury it and forget the place. Let us throw it back into the sea. It has brought evil. Kino, my husband, it will destroy us." And in the firelight her lips and her eyes were alive with her fear. But Kino's face was set, and his mind and his will were set” this quote shows that Juana is becoming increasingly fearful yet Kino is sure this is the way and is willing to do whatever is necessary to become wealthy. This causes a strain between their relation. Finally the worst thing Kino commits is the act of attacked Juana. He is described as a snake hissing at her and hitting her that makes her fall. He even continues to kick her after she has fallen and she accepts it and knows he may even murder her. This shows that Kino has broken all limits of humanity and is being consumed by

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

At first it was just him protecting his family, self defense, but then something horrible came over him, as John Steinbeck phrases it, “Kino was a terrible machine now” (Chapter 6. Location 196). He was greedy. Ever since Kino got the pearl he didn't appreciate the little things. He didn't feed the hungry dog, or wait outside to watch the sunrise. He didn't hear the family song any more. He loved his pearl and his pearl only, he didn't care so much for people. He bashed the head of the first tracker and shot the second and third, in the mix of it all he somehow managed kill his child. He tried to resist evil with evil and he became the evil.

At nightfall, he confronts a robber who attacks him with vicious speed. Kino staggers away from the fight with “a long deep cut in his cheek…[and] a deep bleeding slash” (pg. 55). The robber was obviously seeking the pearl and the effect of his actions ended with Kino being severely injured. This is followed by Kino beating up his wife after discovering her attempt to throw away the pearl at dusk. Juana felt like a “sheep before the butcher” (pg. 58) but she understood the drastic measures which Kino resorted to. After Kino’s surge of anger, he returns to his home only to discover more “dark figures” (pg.58) lurking about frantically trying to steal the pearl. He lunges and plunges his knife into one figure. The result is fatal. After Kino’s murder, him and Juana have no choice but to flee to the city to be rid of the cursed pearl but instead, find their boat destroyed which in turn just ruined his lifelong financial support. In this scenario the pearl causes Kino to be attacked, beat up his loving wife, murder a man and forces him and his family to flee the

In the Novel, The Pearl, Kino’s greed leads to his downfall because he does not sell the pearl, he fights for the pearl, and he believes that the pearl can change his family’s life.

By the end of The Pearl, Kino, who was extremely innocent and ambitious in the beginning of the book, has killed a total of four men, hit his wife, and gotten his son killed trying to sell the pearl. Certain people in the village, who seemed like one big family at first, had invaded Kino’s home twice, and were even hunting him once he left. Juana, Kino’s wife, was the only voice of reason throughout the story. She continually told Kino to throw away the pearl before it destroyed their family and life. Kino didn’t listen though, and it ultimately ended in the death of his

Juana is given the opportunity to get rid of the pearl, but is attacked by Kino as she tries to throw it in the water. Instead of fighting back, Juana let’s Kino take the pearl. Leaving Juana on the ground where he attacked her, Kino takes the pearl and heads home. Before reaching his destination, he kills a man after being abruptly attacked. Juana decided it would be best to flee the village before Kino is convicted of the crime.

Kino faces a difficult decision or change when he finds the pearl for example in the book The Pearl chapter 5 Juana says, “Here is your pearl. I found it in the path. Can you hear me now? Here is your pearl. Can you understand? You have killed a man.” (61). This shows that because of the pearl he does not listen to his wife and he has killed a man because of his greed towards the pearl. Also it says in Chapter 5 (59), it says, “He struck her in the face with his clenched fist and she fell among the boulders…”. This also shows that because of

Kino faces a life changing decisions, like choosing between the pearl and his family. One of Kino’s big life changing decisions that have occurred in The Pearl is whether Kino should sell his pearl or not. When Kino finally decides to sell the pearl

The pearl brings much evil, but a slight amount of good; the pearl elicits the opportunity for a better life, causes the destruction of Kino’s property and family, and provokes the death of Coyotito.

Kino throughout the beginning of the book was a very happy man who loved his family and friends. Kino went from being a very involved and loving person to being hostile and greedy person which wasn't regular for the

The pearl has changed Kino from a content man to a man who is unhappy with just the love of his family. Instead he wants “stuff “ to make them happy. For instance when Kino says “ We will have new clothes. “(31). This quote explains that Kino wants to get things he does not need, but what he wants. The pearl has also imported others negatively. The pearl has ruined the life of Kino and his family. “ ‘This pearl is like a sin! It will destroy us…’ “ (43). Juana has noticed that the pearl has become something much more than they can handle. It has destroyed those in its path, especially Kino. “ A dead man in the path and Kino’s knife, dark bladed beside him, convinced her.” (67). At this moment the pearl is pure evil as Kino has taken a human’s life. He and Juana know that life will never be the

Kino was a song man, that he hear a song that represent his situation or what going to happen with him. There were several different songs that he hears such as: family song, evil song, and dreams songs. At the beginning the songs were so delight, but then the pearl’s greed killed this delight songs and Kino start to lose everything and the songs start to be all about evil and Fear. “For a dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world” (Wilde 224) this quote represents Kino’s situation and how he was hiding his vision of the demolition.

Once people find out about his pearl, people begin to attack and take advantage of him. Kino recognizes this, and takes the pearl to the capital. Fueled by greed, the pearl effects Kino, Juana, and the community as a whole. Before Kino had found the “pearl of the world”, he had lived a simple life. Kino resided in a brush house on the outskirts of his village with his wife and son.

I argue that greed, culture, anger, happiness, luck, death, and evil are all significant aspects of this book, which influenced everyone in the story at one point which includes them in the responsibility of the tragedy that Kino and his family faced.