The Pearl Greed

If you had $1,000,000, what would you do with it? Would you preserve it and place it in the hands of the bank, or would you test your luck in the stock market? Would you donate your money, or would you spend it lavishly? In The Pearl, by John Steinbeck, Kino, the protagonist, wants to find the Pearl of World, even though he is happy with his family is, albeit his son, Coyotito has been bitten by a scorpion. Then, Kino finds the Pearl, and the doctor finally treats the babe, although he poisons him for the money instead. A series of terrible events happen, eventually leading to the death of Kino’s son. Juana, his wife, and Kino reach a decision to throw the pearl back into the ocean, which Kino does. The theme of The Pearl is that greed for

In the beginning of Steinbeck’s novel, the pearl represents a wondrous, legendary object, “this was the Song of the Pearl that Might Be, for every shell thrown in the basket might contain a pearl. Chance was against it, but luck and the gods might be for it. And in the canoe above him Kino knew that Juana was making the magic of prayer, her face set rigid and her muscle hard to force the luck, to tear the luck out of the gods’ hands, for she needed the luck for the swollen shoulder of Coyotito,” (17). By the middle of the book, the pearl is no longer just a way to pay for treatment, by also a way to improve Kino and his family’s lives, “In the pearl he saw Juana and Coyotito and himself standing and kneeling at the high altar, and they were being married now that they could pay…He himself was dressed in new white clothes, and he carried a new hat - not of straw but of fine black felt…Coyotito - he was the one - he wore a blue sailor suit from the United States and a little yachting cap,” (24). Kino also wants a few other things, like a rifle, and for his son to be educated (25). Although the pearl itself doesn’t change, by the end of the book, Kino views the pearl as, “ugly; it was gray, like a malignant growth. And Kino heard the music of the pearl, distorted and insane”

Kino becomes a human with evil animal-like features, “Kino looked down at her and his teeth were bared. He hissed at her like a snake,” (59). Steinbeck also illustrates Kino as an animal, “He was an animal now, for hiding, for attacking, and he lived only to preserve himself,” (62). One of the worst things that Kino had done whilst the Pearl was in his possession was beat his wife, Juana, “He struck her in the face with his clenched fist and she fell among the boulders, and he kicked her in the side,” (59). Kino transforms into a cruel man with twisted intentions from this point until the end of the