The Pearl Characters

Kino

Kino is a young pearl diver whose obligation toward his family is very strong. He works hard to provide for his family. He finds The Pearl of the World and expects to use it to pay for his son, Coyotito’s, education. He also dreams that with the pearl he can buy his family new clothes and a rifle for himself, but the pearl only brings him trouble. His neighbors turn on him and try to steal the pearl, and he must leave his home after killing an attacker in self-defense. He decides that his family is in danger. He and Juana run away with Coyotito, but the trackers follow them. He knows that they are after the pearl and that they will catch his family, so he sneaks into their camp and kills them all. In the shooting that goes on in the camp, a stray bullet kills his son. He and Juana return to La Paz with their dead child and they throw the pearl into the sea. Coyotito’s, education. He also dreams that with the pearl he can buy his family new clothes and a rifle for himself, but the pearl only brings him trouble. His neighbors turn on him and try to steal the pearl, and he must leave his home after killing an attacker in self-defense. He decides that his family is in danger. He and Juana run away with Coyotito, but the trackers follow them. He knows that they are after the pearl and that they will catch his family, so he sneaks into their camp and kills them all. In the shooting that goes on in the camp, a stray bullet kills his son. He and Juana return to La Paz with their dead child and they throw the pearl into the sea.

Juana

Juana is Kino’s strong, quiet wife who takes care of their family. When she realizes that the pearl is only bringing trouble to their family, she urges Kino to throw it away. He refuses, and while he sleeps, she takes the pearl to the beach and is about to throw it when Kino catches her and beats her for taking the pearl. She accompanies her husband out of La Paz and urges him again to get rid of the cursed pearl, but he will not until their son, Coyotito, is accidentally shot by a tracker’s rifle. After the tragedy, Kino and Juana walk back to La Paz and throw the pearl into the sea together.

Coyotito

Coyotito is Kino and Juana’s first-born child who is stung by a scorpion and needs medical treatment. Unfortunately, the local doctor refuses to treat the baby because Kino has no money. When the doctor hears about Kino’s pearl, however, he changes his mind and agrees to treat Coyotito. Kino expects that the pearl will enable him to secure a good education for his son, which he believes is essential if they are to avoid getting cheated by the merchants and other upper-class citizens of La Paz. This dream is destroyed when Coyotito is killed by a gunshot while Kino attempts to stave off the trackers. Later, Kino and Juana return to La Paz with Coyotito’s corpse and throw the pearl into the sea.

Juan Tomas

Juan Tomas is Kino’s older brother. Juan gives Kino advice about selling the pearl. He walks beside Kino when they travel to the pearl buyers. Later, he warns his brother that by refusing to sell his pearl to the buyers, Kino is acting in defiance of their way of life and putting his family in danger. When Kino approaches Juan Tomas seeking refuge, Juan takes him in and offers safety. Juan gathers supplies for Kino and Juana’s journey and protects his brother’s family until they depart.

Apolonia

Apolonia is Juan Tomas’ wife. She follows her husband as he escorts Kino into town to sell the pearl. She organizes a vigil when Kino’s hut burns down, and Kino and his family are nowhere to be found.

Doctor

The doctor is wealthier than the peasants of La Paz, and he scoffs at the natives, including Kino and Juana. He ridicules them for not having money when they seek his help to treat their son. Later, when he hears that Kino has found the Pearl of the World, he comes to their hut to treat their baby. He pretends not to know that Kino has found a great pearl. He hopes to figure out where Kino has buried the pearl. The doctor does find out where Kino has buried the pearl, and later that night someone visits his hut to dig out the pearl. However, Kino had moved the pearl after the doctor’s visit. Kino stabs the intruder, but the stabbing is not fatal. The intruder, possibly the doctor himself, hits him in the head and manages to escape.

Trackers

The two trackers are accompanied by a man with a rifle. They follow Kino and Juana out of La Paz. When Kino spots them following his family, he and Juana decide to escape via the mountains so that they would be harder to follow. Later, Kino sneaks down the face of the mountain and into the trackers’ camp and kills them all. In the chaos, Coyotito, however, is shot dead.

The Priest

The priest is the local religious authority, and when he learns of Kino’s pearl, he hopes that he can convince Kino to use his wealth for the good of the church. He visits Kino’s hut at night hoping to persuade him to donate to the church.

The Buyers

Though the pearl buyers of the town pretend to be independent buyers, they are controlled by one man. The buyers pretend to compete with each other, which makes it easier for them to cheat the Indians out of their pearls. They tell Kino that his great pearl is only worth a thousand pesos, which angers Kino and prompts him to take the pearl to the capital. That night, Kino’s family is attacked in their home, and Kino believes that the buyers are responsible for it.