The Pearl Oppression

Set in societies of social injustice, The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros and The Pearl by John Steinbeck tell the stories of two communities where racial oppression, gender roles, and social class divide society. The plot of The House on Mango Street centers largely around a young girl named Esperanza, who is battling racism towards the poor Latino community in Chicago Illinois, and the expectations of the role of a girl and a woman in her culture. Similarly, The Pearl focuses on the story of a young pearl diver Kino, his wife Juana, and his baby son Coyotito, who are battling against native oppression and misfortune that follows them like a plague after Kino discovers a

In John Steinbeck’s novella, The Pearl, he conveys that wealth can corrupt and change by displaying how the pearl changes the lives Kino, Juana, and Coyotito, leads to their downfall and how it also affects the town of La Paz.

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 this novella, I developed a thesis statement, which is: The pearl kept Kino moving forward because it represented hope during a period in his life. I chose this thesis statement because one of the aspects that makes this story move forward is Kino’s hope and greed; even if this greed is based on his hope. Steinbeck quotes: “Every man suddenly became related to Kino’s pearl, 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 he became curiously everyman’s enemy” (Steinbeck, 27).

Greed is perhaps one of the most destructive forces in this world, it breeds anger, hate, jealousy, and more. The novella “The Pearl” is based on how the finding of a pearl causes greed to be awakened in the hearts of people and cause them to commit evil. During the Novella, Steinbeck develops the theme that greed left unchecked can cause immoral behavior and that is show in the doctor, the attackers, and Kino. All of them are forced by greed to commit sins that they otherwise would not do.

Steinbeck begins the novella by introducing the type of life that was lived by Kino before the discovery of the pearl, and the effect it had not only himself but its effect it had on his family. As Kino watches the ocean he remembers an ancient song from his culture the “Song of the Family” as he remembers this song he takes pleasure in watching his wife do her chores. Kino remembers this moment has a perfect morning like any other mornings. As Kino eats his breakfast he is aware of a scorpion that arrives at Coyotito crib. As the scorpion bit Kino’s son he remembers another ancient song the “Song of Evil”. Steinbeck presents the divides the town in two types - the old natives and the new Christian settlers. Steinbeck uses techniques to distinguish between the native Indians and the more cultured Europeans.

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.

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

In a small town called La Paz, a pearl diver named Kino life turns upside down after the promise of imminent wealth is brought to him. The story of The Pearl, written by John Steinbeck, is a story that swerves left and right, and revolves around greed. With many examples of foreshadowing, imagery, and characterization, John Steinbeck shows many ways that greed can be influential. Greed is like violence, it’s evil and overtakes anything else. John Steinbeck shows this in many ways whether it be how greed can change someone, in literary techniques, and how greed has changed Kino and his family.

Good vs. evil, greed, social oppression, we see it all around us and more importantly it shows up in the books we read. The themes good vs. evil, greed, social oppression, they all show up the book The Pearl, by John Steinbeck to help you find general topics in the story and to show the reader the impact that the different themes have on the story. In The Pearl the many themes in the book help you see big and small impacts to characters and the world around them, the themes also help you convey the main idea of the story. The book The Pearl, by John Steinbeck has different themes that incorporate into the story, and impact the book from the beginning to the end. All of the themes throughout the book work together and impact the story

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

Oppression is a very difficult obstacle for people to overcome and conquer. In The Pearl, the town people suffer many economic and social oppressions in their lives. Kino, a townsman, lives with his wife, Juana, and his newborn son, Coyotito in Mexico. They are a very poor family who cannot afford the best materials life has to offer them. Thier friends, the town people, help encourage and support them with their everyday lives. They soon learn to adapt to the rocky lifestyle, but still struggle to rid the oppression that haunts them. Major problems Kino’s family has are they do not have money, education, and equality.

     Novels were created to show a very naive view in great depth. The Pearl is a novel in its most complete form. Steinbeck does this by conveying life symbolically. Through symbols, John offers the reader a clearer look at life and it?s content. He shows major imagery in four ways: Kino, music, Coyotito, and the 'Pearl of the World'.

Theme gives the reader a general idea about what the piece of literature is about. The character’s action and thoughts takes part in creating the theme. Animal farm was a book about animals taking control of the farm from their tyrannic farmer. The animals attempts to make the farm a democracy, but Napoleon, the pig leader, takes over and eventually becomes the new tyrant. The Pearl was about a family, Kino, Juana, Coyotito, who catches a huge pearl. They go through a journey to get away from any harm such as the trackers. In the book Animal Farm and the book The Pearl, the two characters, Napoleon and the Doctor, created a theme that greed can change their perspective.