The Pearl Greed Essay

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To begin with, One of the overarching themes in The Pearl is greed. The book is making a point that greed can ruin a person and even those around them. In the beginning Kino was a kind man with a good family but in a poor financial situation. He finds something of great value and rather than being grateful and giving it up when it had brought unfortunate situations to come into play he keeps it and insists that it will save him and his family. He displays greed and selfishness from this point on.
For a bit of backstory, When Kino was searching for a pearl to sell in order to treat his son’s injury he finds a beautiful large pearl. People begin approaching Kino who wouldn’t have before and many fantasize of what they would do with

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    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

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