The Portrayals Of Life in The Pearl by John Steinbeck

In the novella “The Pearl” by John Steinbeck, an improvised pearl diver finds a humungous pearl which is described as a “ sea-gull egg. It was the greatest pearl in the world”(26), which he hopes to buy tranquility and happiness for his family. Instead, he learns that the valuable pearl cannot buy happiness but only destroy his simple life. Throughout this novella there is a constant theme woven through the characters and settings which encompasses the struggle among social classes to become successful and the colonial oppression and ill-treatment against the native Indians. The novelist, John Steinback portrays this motif through Kino, the town doctor, Coyotito, and the town of La Paz.

Kino, is the protagonist in the novella, who is an honest pearl diver that discovers the sacrifices that comes with the struggle for success. Kino dreams and aspirations are for his son to receive a quality education and his wife Juana to get married in the church which the pearl can provide. As Kino seeks to gain wealth and social position through the pearl, he changes from a jovial, fulfilled father to untamed wild animal of emotions, demonstrating the way avarice and greed shatters purity and innocence. Kino’s desire to acquire wealth distorts the pearl unique elegance and goodness, changing it from a symbol of optimism to a symbol of self-destruction. Kino’s greed and self-destruction leads him to become more dubious and suspicious around his peaceful villagers.

When Coyotito gets stung by the scorpion, Kino tries to sell the pearl in exchange of payment for the doctor to cure his son, but the pearl buyers attempt to deceive him of the success he feels he deserves. Kino tries to leave the town, but his paranoia and fear causes him ultima...

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...ween the rich and the poor. Coyotito teaches the reader how innocent bystanders can suffer, and the doctor displays how greed and power can corrupt people. Through these characters and the town of La Paz, Steinbeck informs his readers that wealth and riches, does not always constitute ultimate happiness and that being wealthy does not mean everlasting joy. Most importantly, he shows that the struggle to become successful can destroy one's initial dreams. Kino finally realizes how evil and destructive the pearl is, after Coyotito's death and as Steinbeck writes: "And in the surface of the pearl he saw Coyotito laying in the cave with his head shot away. The pearl was ugly; it was gray, like a malignant growth...And Kino drew back his arm and flung the pearl with all his might."(94,97).

Work Cited

Steinback, John. The Pearl. New York: Penguin Books, 1992.