In the novel The Pearl, Symbolism assists us readers in a way that allows us to be able to perceive things in a more understandable, insightful way. Instead of us only understanding a short story of a young man diving for pearls to earn a living, it helps give more detail on his personal life and surroundings. Symbolism is also another way for the author to further illustrate their ……… It causes us readers to ponder upon our person ideals of ourselves.
The main object in the novel The Pearl is the pearl itself. In the beginning of the novel, the pearl represents Kino’s lifelong dreams and hopes. At first he was mainly focused on worldly items such as a rifle for himself, brand new clothes, education for his son Coyotito, and money for his marriage. He attempted to make it seem like these items were for his whole family, but in the end the symbolism reverses and it is actually for Kino’s personal wants. The education he longed for Coyotito to learn would be for Coyotito to actually teach Kino for his own benefits, as well as his marriage, new clothing, and the rifle. Although in the end, the consumption of the greed Kino takes its turn and turns to his wife, Juana, being beaten and him losing his one and only son.
Throughout the novel, symbolism examples can be discovered. The images of Kino acting as an animal are prejudice. In the end of the novel, he is not the same man as he was in the beginning.
A major turning point in life is finding the true person you are. There comes a time in life when you change as a person and you wish to be in a different environment. You may notice it yourself, or you may not. Never the less, it is going to occur whether you want it to or not. This can either happen drastically or slowly, and...
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...longer superior and no longer human. Pride and arrogance narcism, conceit, self-absorption, self-regard, cockiness are characteristics of his personality that Kino has but does not intentionally live by these traits. Conceitedly, he thinks in his mind he can defeat the pearl and win over his misfortunes. He attempts to change Juana’s mind by telling her that he can defeat the pearl, ''Believe me,'' he said ''I am a man." ' (56). Animals do not have any trait like us humans do that relates to us being narcissistic. Animal only want what is necessary, unlike us. They are simple with what they need and we are complicated and have to have everything we want. As the drastic events are gradually becoming worse, Kino is becoming more like and animal and lives by their traits and needs.
Works Cited
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In The Pearl, Kino wants to sell the pearl for money, for several reasons. One of which is to help his dying baby, Coyotito. Kino ended up getting more greedy and wanted more and more from the pearl, that a bad ending was sure to happen. The author includes several bad events that happen, due to Kino's greed and attempts to mess with fate. For example, his baby died. This is sort of ironic because he wanted the pearl so he could make Coyotito better, but... A couple other examples of how Kino meets with disaster when his house burnt down and his canoe was trashed. On page 29 of this, Novel it says, “He knew that the gods don't take their revenge on a man if he be successful through his own efforts.” This shows that Kino knew what was going to happen, but didn't care because his greediness got the best of him. Likewise, in “The Monkey's Paw” Mr.White was careless, which ended up with him finding himself in the middle of a disaster. On pg 187, it says “...And that those who interfered with it did so to their sorrow.” Mr. White didn’t care, he was warned by the sergeant, when he said to him “Better let it burn.” because the sergeant knew it was bad and would bring great pain and sorrow and problems to Mr.White and his family, but he paid no attention to the sergeants
He is one of the most greedy person in this book.Kino Was perfectly fine in the beginning of the book, but then he found the pearl and turned his life upside down.Kino had a perfect relationship with his wife, but then “he struck her in the face,he cluched her with his fist and she fell among the boulders,and he kicked her in the side.Kino looked down at her and his teeth were bared.He hissed at her like a snake, and Juana stared at him with wide UN frightened eyes,like a sheep before the butcher(59)”.Kino even got worse “When Juana tries to hid the pearl and Kino goes crazy and almost attacks her like a crazy man(38)”.But then there is this side of Kino when he first gets the pearl”When Kino thinks of all the things that the pearls wealth and money will do for them but not for anyone else(36)”.This is greedy because he only thinks of himself for the pearl.But Kino am greedy Most of the
It is also a preface into the symbolism that Pearl embodies. She, in most scenes of the book, acts less like a human and more like a symbol. Pearl is a symbol of sin, a symbol of unity and moreover, a symbol of the conscience. Pearl is an emblem to the Puritan settlement that ultimately frees her parents from shame due to the symbolic nature Hawthorne provides as Pearls characteristics.
He is driven by greed, so much so that he could even see dreams form in the pearl. Kino is the head of a modest household and until he finds the pearl he lives a satisfied life with all he needs for his family to be happy. As soon as Kino finds the pearl he starts to want possessions he never wanted before. He dreams of education for Coyotito, marrying Juana in a Catholic church, purchasing new clothing for his family, and getting a harpoon and a rifle for himself. “It was the rifle that broke down the barriers . . . for it is said that humans are never satisfied, that you give them one thing and they want something more” (Steinbeck 32). Located within a small poverty-stricken community, a pearl diver named Kino finds “the Pearl of the World” and becomes suddenly rich, he begins to want items that he thought were impossible before. As Kino thinks more and more of what the pearl can do for him, he starts to think that it will raise his social status as well. This is only the beginning of Kino’s greediness, for the more he gets, the more he will want, and this begins to dehumanize him. Kino focuses on the wealth of the pearl and causes him to change his values about life. In the beginning, Kino is only focused on his family, once Kino finds the pearl he becomes more focused on the pearl, rather than his family. Kino cares a lot more about losing the pearl rather than something bad happening to his loved
The use of symbolism can change the meaning of one item to an entirely different entity with a closer look or a change of perspective. In the book, this is incorporated throughout the story. Adversely, kennings can also be terms that we no longer use, even on occasion. For example, a “light-of-battle” refers to a sword.
One of the most common and prominent themes of The Pearl is greed. One of the first examples of this is when Kino went to the doctor to beg for treatment, but the doctor responded, "‘Has he any money?’ the doctor demanded. ‘No, they never have money. I, I alone in the world am supposed to work for nothing- and I am tired of it. See if he has any money!’” (Steinbeck 11). Many would consider it unethical to refuse treatment to someone simply because of their poverty. The doctor refusing to cure the ill child shows how greed has corrupted him to the point of having an innocent baby die rather than offering up his services for free. Another early instance of greed was when the news of the pearl “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. He wondered what the pearl would be worth” (Steinbeck 21). Even the people of God, those believed to have the highest morals, became materialistic. He who is supposed to be satisfied with just the love of the lord suddenly hungered for more. This greed eventually came to Kino when Juana suggested throwing away the pearl, but Kino replied, “‘No,’ he said. ‘I will fight this thing. I will win over it. We
Kino, a family man with a dream, transforms into something not human but quite opposite. Juana and Kino both lived in poverty until coming across the pearl. Though the pearl was a miracle, it soon converts Kino into an animal to a machine. John Steinbeck, the author, dehumanizes Kino using figurative language.
Many early novels portray ideas and thoughts that are confusing at times and are even unjustified. Symbolism throughout the novel can be used to uncover the main premise the author is writing about. Comparing their true value to each and every character can help reveal the unseen and obscure characteristics of the more complex and compound characters. Turning to symbolism is the most proficient way to attempt to discover the author’s moral portrayed through the book and his characters.
Good writing is meant to elicit an emotional response from its reader, and effective symbolism does just that. Birkerts explains that “A symbol deepens the thematic resonance” of a work of fiction (127). The frequent use of symbolism in The Scarlet Letter adds color and life to an otherwise rudimentary story. Pearl herself seems to function far more effectively as a symbol than she does as a mere character. She lacks many typical human qualities, but serves her purpose as a representation of all the ways her mother’s life changed on the day of her ignominy. The child was named Pearl because she was “purchased with all [Hester] had” (83) and her world would never be the same. With every positive or negative concept that the child represents, Pearl more clearly symbolizes the cost of her mother’s
Symbolism provides an indirect proposal to convey one’s feelings and state of mind. It offers an opportunity for the writer to deepen the reader’s emotional outlook of the characters presented in the story. Symbolism allows one to under stand the character in a deeper manner and unfold a hidden meaning of who the character is and what the conflict is in the story. From the characters, we can learn through symbolism more about them. In “Battle Royal” by Ralph Ellison, the young African American views himself as being praised and chanted by the white folks for a speech that he has delivered, but in reality he is being mocked. In “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Connor, a family vacation turned into a murder scene where the grandmother
Kino found one of the most valuable and precious pearls in the world and being convinced of its worth was not going to be cheated by only minimally upgrading his condition of life. Instead he wanted to break the fixed life and role that he and his family had and always would live. Kino refuses the maximum offer of fifteen hundred pesos that would easily ease his and his family’s pain and suffering for the coming months. Kino is then determined to trek to the capital to find a fair and just offer. Kino continues determined through the mountains after an attempt at the pearl, his canoe destroyed and his hut set a blaze. Continuing to put his family’s life on the line. It eventually takes the death of his beloved son Coyotito to make him realize he needs to stop being so greedy, no matter how hard he tries and to shut his mouth and know his role.
Turning Point Changes There isn’t only one specific thing that can cause someone’s life to change completely. Change depends on whether or not someone allows it. A sudden change in someone’s life, however, is largely caused by a realization, as demonstrated in the stories A Christmas Carol,At the Crossroads,Urban Farming, and An American Childhood.
Readers can tell from the statement that many of the people Kino encounters after finding the pearl become bitter “friends”. At this point, Kino and Juana begin to realize that the pearl is bringing bad luck upon them. They are taken advantage of by the doctor and he decides to visit them after knowing they have the pearl. “This pearl is like a sin”(56). Juana begins to realize the pearl is bringing them bad luck, but Kino still trusts that it’s a gift. Readers can also assume that people are trying to take the pearl when Kino is suddenly attacked during the night. “Blood oozed down from his scalp and there was a long…”(56). Readers can now confirm that the pearl has changed and now represents evil. The pearl also begins to destroy Kino and Juana’s relationship as they have different opinions on what to do with the pearl. After Kino wakes up and follows Juana when she wakes up and walks out, readers know he has started to lose full trust in her. “He rolled up to his feet and followed her silently as she had gone” (58). Through the symbolism of the pearl and what it brings upon Kino and Juana, the author emphasizes how the pearl is not what it first appears to be, which was
The pearl symbolizes many different things. To Kino, at first it symbolized happiness and hope. On page 39 in chapter 3, it has stated, "So lovely it was, so soft, and its own music came from it- its music of promise and delight, its guarantee of the future, of comfort and security. Its warm lucence promised a poultice against illness and a wall against insult. It closed a door on hunger." Kino sought happiness and riches, and as he was desperate he was blind to the greed that was enveloping him. All he saw was impossible hopes and dreams in the pearl. In other words, to him, the pearl guaranteed money and the comfort of a tranquil life.
This leads to change and, eventually, downfall. Before he finds the pearl, Kino “was a well-liked man” (43), and adored by all of his neighbors. Everyone looked up to his kindness and sympathy, but when he finds the Pearl, he changes. The pearl takes control over him, and he becomes too obsessed with getting his money. He loses his many things over it: “now it is my misfortune and my life and I will keep it” (66). The neighbors even suspect, “‘what a pity it would be if the pearl should destroy them all.’” (43) For example, KIno loses his family when he tries to protect the pearl and defies the pearl buying system, and when he mishandles Juana. Loisng his canoe symbolizes thi sloss of his family. He also loses his sanity. he beats Juana and kills four men. He “‘killed a man’” (61) and joins in many fights. For greed, he turns down the salesman`s offer for the pearl and ends with nothing left. Kino has the chance to take the money offered to him and be done, but he is greedy and he wants more. Then, at the end of the book, Kino throws the pearl into the sea, and with it, all the money he could possibly gain. He also lets the doctor treat Coyotito, even with his doubts, and now can not pay him because the pearl is his payment method, which is now gone. He thinks his money is secure, and in his mind, he is a rich man. This is not necessarily true, as readers learn, and because he was so secure, he must now pay for unnecessary