The Pearl Greed

The loss of innocence John Steinbeck’s book, The Pearl, is about a Mexican pearl diver, Kino, and his family. The story is told through the eyes of an outside narrator about his journey with “The Pearl of the World.” The main character is Kino, who is hardworking and desperate to support his family. In the book, the author uses revealing actions to show that disappointment and greed can make a man forget his purpose. Kino started as a family man, but by the end of the book, he was controlled by the greed he felt in his heart.

Of all the symbols that are in Steinbeck’s story, the pearl of the world is the most important because of its direct impact on Kino, Juana, and Coyotito. The Pearl is about a poor diver, Kino, who gathers pearls for a living. Then, on a day like any other, Kino comes to the surface of the sea with a pearl as large as a seagull’s egg. Kino thought it would be a source of wealth, hope, and comfort, whereas it was actually the evil that destroyed their family.

John Steinbeck’s The Pearl follows the story of a Mexican-Indian family who lived in a small village on the coast of the Baja peninsula during the colonial era in Mexico. Kino works tirelessly as a pearl diver to provide for his wife, Juana, and Coyotito, his son. Although he was poor, he and his wife were initially satisfied with their lives. However, Coyotito’s scorpion sting and the discovery of the Pearl of the World opened Kino’s eyes to a much larger world. His simple, peaceful life was marred by the violence and conflict that the pearl brought. The pearl, which incited greed in all who come in contact with it, changed from a symbol of hope to that of chaos and misfortune.

In the end of the story, Kino realized after Coyotito died because of getting shot, the pearl is worth nothing to him. “If it’s a coyote,this will stop it.” The watcher said as he raised his gun. Kino was in mid-leap when the gun crashed and the barrel-flash made a picture on his eyes.”(pg. 86) He knows the pearl can buy many materials that can support the family but it won't matter because the pearl will not be able to replace their son Coyotito.

The Pearl written by John Steinbeck is a parable, a story that teaches a moral lesson. This novel is centered on a poor Indian family, who live in a brush hut along the Gulf of Mexico and by the village of La Paz. The family consists of: Kino, a fisherman and pearl diver, his wife Juana, and their infant son Coyotito. One day while diving, Kino discovers a great pearl that he calls, “the pearl of the world” (22). The theme of a literary work is defined as the central idea, concern or purpose about life that a writer wishes to convey. There may be several themes identified in a literary work; however, in John Steinbeck’s novel The Pearl the author uses the pearl to develop one of the most essential universal themes in literature, that of

The Pearl, written by John Steinbeck perfectly encapsulates the stringent economic and social divide among the poor and the rich not only on the basis of wealth but also ethnicity and historical divide. This is highlighted by the fact that there was frustration among the people of the village due to their oppression at the hands of their European colonizers. The living conditions of the town were thus very poor. They lived in brush houses and wore ragged clothes, without proper housing or even sanitation. While the European descendants lived in stone houses, surrounded by walls, the Indians, who had been subjugated for over 400 years lived in grass shacks with muddy floors. The situation of the town could be subsequently

“Kino has found the Pearl of the World.” (Chapter 3, page 11 on PDF) It has become the pearl of the world because due to the poverty of the village, they want the pearl for themselves and becoming more stable, everybody wants the pearl of the village and Kino has to protect

Kino’s first reaction to his son being stung by the scorpion is to kill it in a fit of rage, while his wife’s maternal instincts instantly kicked in. “But Juana had the baby in her arms now. She found the puncture with redness starting from it already. She put her lips down over the puncture and sucked hard and spat and sucked again while Coyotito screamed” (Steinbeck 6). Coyotito being stung by the scorpion is not part of the daily routine or song of the family, and yet Juana doesn’t speak to her husband for affirmation.

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

The theme I chose to write about is how greed is a corruption of innocence. In The Pearl, the pearl symbolizes greed and selfishness. It also shows how greed and selfishness can bring out the worst in people. In the book, there are many examples of how the pearl corrupts Kino’s and the townspeople’s innocence. One example is the

After traveling long and fighting against the whole world, first with his town filled with people trying to steal it, then fighting for the money, then against himself and finally against the trackers, he was left weak, and there was no more strength to fight anymore. “The people say that the two seemed to be removed from human experience” (Steinbeck 88). His struggles with the pearl have left him dehumanized and stripped of emotions because after so many battles with himself and others, it has ruined the pearl’s value by taking away the shine and leaving a dusty grey as all of his original plans of a wedding, new clothes and an education for Coyotito have turned into memories of traumatic moments. “And in the surface of the pearl, he saw Coyotito lying in the little cave with the top of his head shot away.” (Steinbeck 89). Family was the strongest part of his life because it was Kino’s only power throughout his life, which is why when he returns back to his village, people don’t recognize him as he walks through people unbothered by their staring eyes that glare right through the hollowed soul, making them feel scared. Whether Kino can’t feel anymore or chooses to disconnect himself from that battle is a mystery, but, he is still left as a dehumanized

The Pearl by John Steinbeck has the universal theme of greed throughout the book. It is shown many times and is the most recognizable in the book. From the time Kino finds the pearl to the resolution it sets loose a river of greed from other people trying to get what he has. Even Kino becomes blind from greed and ends up hurting his family. It is shown when the pearl buyers try to undercut the price of Kino’s pearl. It is also shown when everyone is in his hut right after he finds the pearl including the doctor and the priest. Both of these examples are fueled by greed.

He worked to feed his family, and protect his family from anything that could harm them. So, when Kino found the pearl, this great opportunity, he seemed to change all of his morals and traits that made him the person he was. Juana had noticed the effect that the pearl had on Kino and the whole environment that was around them, so she decided to try and get rid of it herself. When Kino saw Juana down by the water he ran out to her and throw her up against a rock and kicked her in the ribs. His actions showed that in his mind the pearl was worth more to him than Juana was.

The Pearl By John Steinbeck is a story of a family their names are kino, Juana, and coyotito. Until something happened to them in their life, everything changed after what they found. Kino’s life was chaotic after he found the”pearl of the world” but he learned a lesson at the end.

All of the village people suddenly sparked an interest in Kino once he discovered the pearl, “people with things to sell and people with favors to ask. Kino had found the Pearl of the World. . . .Every man suddenly became related to Kino's pearl, and Kino's pearl went into the dreams, the speculations, the schemes, the plans, the futures, the wishes, the needs, the lusts, the hungers, of everyone, and only one person stood in the way and that was Kino, so that he became curiously every man's enemy” (Steinbeck 23). The pearl does not result in an immediate change in Kino’s personality, but rather how others view him. The pearl symbolizes hope, a trait that Kino previously possessed, but somewhat lost after the incident involving Coyotito’s illness. Kino’s “eyes and voice [became] hard and cold and a brooding hate was growing in him” (Steinbeck 38). At the beginning of the novel, Kino is very optimistic and positive. Therefore, when this hate begins to consume him, it is very unusual, leading us to believe that the pearl has an influence on Kino.