In John Steinbeck’s The Pearl, rich symbolism is used to convey the message of the parable being told. Symbolism is a useful tool in storytelling because it helps the author add a deeper meaning to the story. In The Pearl, Steinbeck enriches every aspect of the story with symbolism from the setting, to characters, and the plot itself. The different symbols interact with one another throughout the story, which ultimately affects the outcome of the novel. The first and most important symbol is the massive pearl that Kino finds. The pearl is very rich with symbolic meaning, which changes through the story. When Kino finally brings the massive stone to the surface and examines it, he views the pearl as the blessing of a lifetime. …show more content…
The ocean is one of the first symbols of the novel. It represents the unstable source of sustenance for the village. Like the ocean, pearl diving is very unpredictable and unreliable. An unsuccessful day of pearl diving ultimately suppresses the dependent family deeper into poverty. This unstable support system was one of the factors that lead Kino to risk his family’s well being in order to sell the pearl. The next important symbol of the story is the scorpion. The scorpion not only serves as a symbol, but also as a foreshadowing tool. The venomous creature represents the evil forces that will soon enter their lives. The insect unsuspectingly snuck into their home and preyed on the innocent child. This was apparent foreshadowing of the pearl abruptly entering the lives of the seemingly innocent family. In addition, the scorpion can also be interpreted as the magnitude of the poverty of the family. The fact that they had no means to pay for the anti-venom shows what little wealth they had. Like the ocean symbolism, the inability to pay for treatment of the sting also fueled Kino’s destructive behavior that lead to Coyotito’s death. Another symbol and foreshadowing device in the novel are the tribal songs that Kino hears through the story. In the beginning of the story, Kino is laying in bed contently listening to the sounds of his surroundings.
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.
Furthermore, an example of symbolism is the giraffe. The giraffe resembles the change or unknown in the story. This is evident through the author’s illustration:
Kino in The Pearl creates the theme of greed and power can make one’s downfall. In the book Juana (Kino’s wife) hears evil music with the pearl and fears it will tear apart the family and the village. So she sneaks out in the early morning with it and tries to get rid of it to free her family from evil but gets caught in the action by her husband who goes savage. “Her arm was up to throw when he leaped at her and caught her arm and wrenched the pearl from her. He struck her in the face with his clenched fist and she fell among the boulders, and he kicked her in the side...Kino looked down at her and his teeth were bared. He hissed at her like a snake…”(page 58-59) This shows how greed and power can make one’s downfall because the greed of the pearl and the idea of what riches it could bring to the family and the whole village which makes Kino fill with rage when he sees Juana trying to get rid of
Ordinary, dull and uninteresting is the work of literature that lacks the usage of symbols. All the writers of creative imagination use symbolism to convey their ideas which will help readers to understand their work. On the other hand, symbols could be anything. They could be characters or even colors in order to represent abstract ideas or concepts that directly serve the themes of a literary work. Throughout The Pearl, readers can easily notice John Steinbeck's powerful skills in using symbols in the novel and how he portraits them to play an important role in highlighting different themes and gathering new meanings which deeply enhances that plot. Therefore, Steinbeck uses characters, objects and music in what it only seems to be a simple story about a pearl diver who finds a giant pearl to give readers a chance to interpret things on a much deeper level.
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.
Throughout the book there are many themes and the one I chose to use was greed. Greed was present in many instances like; the doctor didn't want to help Coyotito because Kino and Juana couldn’t pay him what he wanted. He finally decided to help after he heard that they had found a perfect pearl and he wanted it for himself. The priest wanted it to help repair and make changes for the church. “It came to the priest walking in his garden, and it put a thoughtful look in his eyes and a memory of certain repairs necessary to the church”(Steinbeck 34). The pearl buyers also demonstrated greed because they tried telling Kino that it was worth nothing and that it was too big. Kino was a happy and hardworking father until he had found the pearl. The pearl changed him and it turned mean and greedy. When Juana tried throwing it back Kino fought her for the pearl back left her on the beach. Also, the many attackers who tried taking the pearl away from them, which made it to where they were trying to kill Kino, Juana, and Coyotito so they can get the pearl. The biggest symbol that represents greed was the pearl.(Symbolism in the Pearl)
Memory, symbol and pattern affect the reading of literature by helping to connect different ideas, that the reader may come up with, to the main story and they help the readers mind try to decipher the conflict in the story. For example, with symbolism, colors are not just colors anymore, blue becomes sorrow and red becomes anger. The recognition of patterns makes it easier to read complicated literature by seeing a reoccurring behavior or theme and tying it to the conflict or resolution of the story and setting the characters into certain categories. “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck is a novel filled with all kinds of symbolism, patterns and even memories. The symbolism along with the memories in that novel
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 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.
The boat is a symbol for family, and now that the boat has been destroyed, the family is now being destroyed. Steinbeck used darkness for the villagers that burnt down Kino’s home. The determination that Kino has to keep the pearl is starting to become destruction. With everything that had happened to Kino and his family. Kino is ready to start a new life with his family. If the pearl could be sold, the money that they get from the pearl will help Coyotito go to school and have a good life. As Kino is starting his new life by escaping he hears the music of the pearl in his head. Steinbeck presents Kino as an animal because as the novel progress, Steinbeck presents Kino as a wild animal that is being hunted by the villagers.
Symbolism is vital in creating a story that is remembered; The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is an example of a story where the meaning is what makes the story memorable. There are many examples of symbols in this story like sunshine, the letter itself, or simply some of the character’s lives. Pearl is a good example of a life that acts as a symbol as its own; Pearl represents the symbol of mistake, regret, and hope.
Steinbeck uses the Pearl as a symbol to communicate the theme greed is not a good thing by making it almost corrupt Kino, making him very greedy for wealth. Throughout the book The Pearl, Kino is doing things that are influenced by the pearl, starting with heading to the capital to eventually killing a man, all for is greed. Right before Kino attempts to sell the pearl in his hometown, he is not blinded by anger at being cheated. When his brother indirectly suggests he go to other places to know the true price of the pearl, Kino refuses. “’How can we know what is a fair price, if we do not know what the pearl buyer gets for the pearl in another place.’
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 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.
For this book report, I have chosen to read the book, “The Pearl”. The book “The Pearl” has a very strong moral and plot. The book is classified under the genres “Fiction”, and “novella”. The book “The Pearl” has a total of 90 pages. John Steinbeck is the author of this book.