Kino's Corruption In The Pearl

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“The news came early to the beggars in front of the church, and it made them giggle a little with pleasure, for they knew that there was no almsgiver in the world like a poor man who was suddenly lucky.”(Steinbeck, 22) The book The Pearl exposes human nature as malevolent. Kino becomes corrupt by the pearl, people try to murder for the pearl, and Kino hits Juana over the pearl.

First, Kino becomes corrupt by the pearl enough to murder another man. An example of his corruption is when he murders a man for trying to take the pearl. In his corruption “He heard the rush got his knife out and lunged at one dark figure and felt his knife go home.”(Steinbeck, 59) He became so corrupt by the pearl that he felt violence was acceptable. If Kino hadn’t found pearl he may not have become a murderer. …show more content…

In attempt to get the pearl men attacked Kino and then burned his house and destroyed his canoe. “For on the beach my canoe is broken and my house is burned.”(Steinbeck, 65) In attempt to get the pearl men tried to murder Kino. The men surprised him in the dark and burned down his house so he had nowhere to sleep and ruined his canoe so couldn’t escape.

Finally, Kino became violent and had hit Juana over the pearl. Kino became so violent that he struck Juana for attempting to steal the pearl. “He struck her in the face with his clenched fist and she fell among the boulders and he kicked her in the side.”(Steinbeck, 59) Kino striking Juana over the pearl shows ultimate corruption because the pearl is just an object but Juana is a human.

Thus showing that humans are malevolent, Kino and a whole town were overcome with greed because of the pearl. The greed of humans appears everywhere from the church beggars to the doctor, to the rich, to the

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