Steinbeck Symbolism

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.

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

In the Novella’s conclusion completes Steinbeck's moral argument that money doesn't buy happiness. In the beginning of the story we see how Kino and Juana are a poor family but they are happy. When Kino find the pearl they believe that they will be happy with the money they are going to receive from the pearl. Later in the story we see how money start

The song is a motif that emphasizes the reactions of the characters and their surrounding. When the song occurs to a character, the character starts to reflect emotions, thoughts and feeling. In the beginning when Kino hears his wife Juana singing “Sometimes it rose to an aching chord that caught the throat, saying this is safety, this is warmth, this is the whole.” Kino starts to feel her love and warmth. The “Song of the Family was interrupted by the dangerous scorpion, at that time the “Song of Evil”

Kino is beginning to realize how at first the pearl seemed to have brought fortune and good to his family, but it really had only brought evil to the family. By the end of the story, Kino and Juana have lost their son, Coyotito, and they wish things were back to the way they were before they found the pearl. Kino then throws the pearl back out into the ocean where he had found it: “And the music of the pearl drifted to a whisper and disappeared” (90). The music disappearing as the pearl sink back into the ocean symbolizes the evil leaving the family: now that the pearl has left, so has the evil. Kino now understands that their “wealth” has brought nothing but evil and has destroyed both himself as well as his family. Not only does Steinbeck use the motif of music to express the theme that good fortune, wealth, and prosperity steer even the most innocent of people towards a path of evil and corruption, but he also uses the motif of light and dark imagery.

It also creates a sort of wary, cautious feeling for the audience as Kino senses an underlying danger. This long description of Kino waiting is juxtaposed with a very short and quick scuffle. Kino is cut with a knife, described by lines such as "the little rush, the grunting struggle, the blow." and "but it was over by then. " This

Throughout the book you see how the pearl causes Kino’s inner animal to take over which causes him to do irrational things. For example, in the book, it states,” Kino looked down at her and his teeth were bared.” (Steinbeck 59). When Kino bares his teeth it shows he is becoming more and more animal like. This shows that Kino is thinking more with emotions than logic and Steinbeck portrays him as a snarling animal. It continues in the next sentence when Steinbeck uses the simile ,”He hissed at her like a snake.” This shows that the pearl is taking away Kino’s and his family’s humanity.

John Steinbeck Uses Symbolism to show how the main characters have hope in there american dream.  Hope is symbolised as light and hopelessness is symbolised as dark, in the book the characters notice “When Curleys wife first apears in the bunkhouse, both lennie and george notice the rectange of sunshine in the doorway is cut off.”  When they first arrive full of hope with the sunshine(light) coming in through the door than Curleys wife blocks it, it symbolsis that Curelys wife is blocking off there hope for there american dream.  This qoute is also foreshadowing that Curelys wife will also will ruin there american dream and cut of all of the little hope they have left.  He also uses the of the sun in the seanory of each paragraph “The sun came

I’m going to tell you how Steinbeck rhetorically uses figurative language in his novella The Pearl.. Steinbeck is using figurative language to explain how Kino lose his humanity. For example, After kino finds out he has a whole in his canoe and house burns down Steinbeck states, “He was an animal now….”(62). The quote is showing the connotations of wild and uncontrollable to describe kino. The pearl is changing kino into a violent person just because it's not changing his life it's changing his humanity. In addition, After Kino struck Juana in the face the Steinbeck says, “He hissed at her like a snake….”(59).

. . . Humans are caught—in their lives, in their thoughts, in their hungers and ambitions, in their avarice and cruelty, and in their kindness and generosity too—in a net of good and evil. . . . There is no other story. A man, after he has brushed off the dust and chips of his life, will have left only the hard, clean questions: Was it good or was it evil? Have I done well—or ill (Steinbeck)”? In the Pearl, Steinbeck depicts the everlasting battle of good and evil and the power of greed. Steinbeck shows Kino’s struggle between himself and society and his journey to overcome man's greatest evil; greed. Using elements such as characterization and symbols, John Steinbeck creates the theme of good vs.

I predict that throughout the novel, Kino will feel or hear songs that correspond to his state of mind. In this passage, Steinbeck explains how Kino’s culture explains their emotions through song. Many characters take their customs and beliefs very seriously. In comparison, many people today believe in their own custom and tradition as well.

Primarily, John Steinbeck, use many techniques such as repetition, word choice, and figurative language in order to change the mood of the novel, The Pearl. For example, John Steinbeck starts the book off with a setting that is peaceful and beautiful by using a tranquil word choice. However, the chapter suddenly becomes sorrowful once the baby is attacked by a scorpion. During this scene, the tone of the author’s text allowed the readers to feel the fear as if we were really there. This is one example in the story, in which a change in the mood occurs. In addition, John Steinbeck tends to add many metaphors throughout the book, which get the reader intrigued about what the metaphor symbolizes and continues to add onto the mood. According

John Steinbeck’s, The Pearl, describes a man and his family’s journey through financial setbacks, racism and the discovery of a pearl that changed their lives. The pearl, is the cause directly and indirectly of every troublesome event that occurs throughout the novel. There are three key events that clearly illustrate that the pearl is the cause of all misfortune. At first, Kino proclaims his visions derived from the pearl’s illusory value and his words backfire and result in great loss in the end. This is followed by Kino refusing the pearl buyers’ offer, sparking a chain reaction of unfortunate events. In addition to this, the hunters seeking for the pearl, whilst acting out of greed, end up destroying Kino’s family.

“When you can no longer feel the life that you are, you are likely to try to fill up your life with things.” This quote from an unknown source explains that when a person receives something, they may think that it is the best thing they have ever found, but all it really does is make you do bad things which have major consequences. In the novella The Pearl by John Steinbeck, a poor fisherman named Kino finds the pearl of the world -- a pearl the size of a seagull's egg that is the biggest pearl anyone has ever found, only for it to destroy him and his family. Kino, having found a great pearl, is determined to get money and buy a rifle. He also wants to put Coyotito, his son, in school to get a good education.

The music in Kino?s head represents his conscience in the real world. It warns him of bad by the Song of Evil, it makes him feel good by the Song of the Family, and the Song of the Pearl reminds him of all the things the pearl brought him. In the end, the irony of the story is that even a good person can be lead off course by his feeling of inner responsibility to provide for his family. Kino?s actions are being motivated to raise Coyotito in greatness, which eventually leads to the death of Coyotito (Kino?s greatest loss). Many desires in life can lead to disaster.