The Pearl Symbolism Essay

The novel The Pearl by John Steinbeck is a parable in which the actual pearls purpose is to have each reader interpret it as they see fit. The meaning of the pearl is never unequivocally explained in the novel. The main characters in this novel are Kino, a father and husband, Juana who is Kino’s wife and Coyotito, their son. There are many moral lessons taught by this story, as I interpreted it. Throughout the novel from the start of finding the pearl and their house being invaded, Juana urges Kino to dispose of the pearl saying “Throw it away, Kino… It has brought evil. Kino, My husband, it will destroy us all.” (Ch.3 pg.37) Kino specifically says to his wife that he is a man and therefore

In the novella, The Pearl, written by John Steinbeck, a pearl diver named Kino is eager to find a pearl to help his son, Coyotito, after he was stung by a scorpion. After the doctor refuses them treatment, Kino coincidentally finds ‘The Pearl of the World’. Originally, it was just supposed to help them with the payment for Coyotito's treatment, but it leads to other happenings. People start hating Kino, and are jealous of his pearl. Trackers try to hunt him down in the mountains to kill him and get the pearl, but that’s not what Kino has in mind. Coyotito is accidentally shot in the head, and that starts a fire in Kino. Anger-filled, he kills the trackers. As Kino and Juana arrive home, they are described to be different people, and it's all

Many people in the world today grow crazy and mad when surrounded by even the slightest bit of wealth and good fortune. Even a strong person who recognizes their priorities can still become corrupt with too much power. There is no better example of a person falling into the path of evil and corruption than in a novel written by John Steinbeck. In the novel The Pearl, by John Steinbeck, the author writes about a poor Indian man named Kino who becomes corrupt from the wealth of a magnificent pearl. Steinbeck uses the motifs of music, light and dark imagery, and values to develop the theme that good fortune, wealth, and prosperity steer even the most innocent of people towards a path of evil and corruption. The reader learns that one

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)

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

In the novel, Steinbeck writes, "No,[Kino] said, 'I will fight this thing. I will win over it. We will have our chance... No one shall take our good fortune from us." (Steinbeck 57) This quote reveals how Kino is making his own decisions, creating his own fate. But Kino only performs these actions out of spite. He only did these actions because society discriminated against him, and society did not allow him to have an education. For example, the doctor states, "Have I nothing better to do than cure insect bites for 'little Indians'? I am a doctor, not a veterinary"' (Steinbeck 11) Because the doctor refused to help Kino's ailing child, Kino is forced to cu. So, he finds a pearl and tries to sell it. But with being taken advantage of by the buyers and the constant discrimination against him, Kino ends up becoming overwhelmed and paranoid of his surroundings. With the constant paranoia and anger, Kino kills a man, burns his home down, and flees away from his home. All these acts are caused by society not allowing him to have an education and society discriminating against him because of his

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.

“But in the song there was a secret little inner song, hardly perceptible, but always there, sweet and secret and clinging, almost hiding in the counter-melody and this was the song of the pearl that might be, for every shell thrown in the basket might contain a pearl” (Steinbeck 17). This is something that might forever deceive us, because of its 'sweet' counter-melody. This is the deception of money. It still happens today- people confuse money with power, because in some way, money can lead to power, and it's not always a good thing. Money is not the answer to everything, as it can serve to beguile people, confusing them between what they think they want, and what they really do want or need. In the book 'The Pearl' by John

In any good work of fiction, symbolism should be fairly easy to spot. As Laurence Perrine explains, good symbols “will be so central and so obvious that they will demand symbolic interpretation if the story is to yield significant meaning” (173). Pearl is a very clear symbol. The child is almost as clear in her

The discovery of the great pearl influences Kino to be more animalistic. “...Kino’s fist closed over the pearl and his emotion broke over him. He put back his head and howled. His eyes rolled up and he screamed and his body was rigid” (Steinbeck 11). Kino’s excitement of this discovery leads to his an impulsive wolf-like behavior, howling, which shows the power of the pearl in triggering man’s impulsiveness. The pearl also installs paranoia in Kino, as he fears others stealing his prized possession. “...a wild fear surged in Kino’s breast, and on the fear came rage...he sprang like an angry cat, leaped striking and spitting for the dark thing he knew was in the corner of

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.

sell the pearl in order to pay for a doctor Coyotito needs, but the pearl buyers

     Kino overall symbolizes clearly good and innocent. Kino is thought of as 'a wise, primitive man' who is hungry for fortune because of the great pearl, which he discovers and later in the story he becomes 'an angry, frightened, but resolute man, determined to keep what he has earned'. He is a young diver who lives in a small village on the coastline of

The definition of Man is that he takes care of his family and would do anything for his family. In the book the Pearl it tells on page 27 us that “‘Kino is a brave man, and a fierce man;he is right.From his courage we may all profit. These were proud of Kino.”’ This quote states that Kino is brave and would do anything good for his family and people see him as a brave fierce man and that they would profit good from him. The second quote states on page 9 ‘“Hooked his foot in the loop on his rock and his worked quickly, tearing the oysters loose,some singly, others in clusters.”’ This quote means that he worked very hard for searching a pearl to save his son Coyotito who has been stung by a scorpion because he does not have enough money to pay for the doctor. The third quote says on page 7 “‘He looked down in wonder at his knuckles and at the blood that flowed down between his fingers”’ This quote states that Kino was mad at the doctor because he would not

To be man is the cognitive thinking skills and ability to feel joy, remorse, and sadness. The rational thoughts and process of thinking that separates man from animal and the need for being satisfied is what defines a man’s character. Kino, the main character in this story, mentions this characteristic that defines man, “...talents the species has and one that has made it superior to animals that are satisfied with what they have,” (Steinbeck). Essentially in this quote, Kino is describing the rush of emotions and thoughts that begin to enter his mind with the introduction of the pearl into his life. With the pearl in Kino’s possession, he begins to conceptualize an improved future and state of life for his family. As Kino describes the