In the stories The Treasure of Lemon Brown and The Pearl, the main characters, Greg and Kino experience changes which, at the end, help them realize what is truly important. Throughout both stories, each character goes through events that show what is important in their life, an experience that changes what’s important, and a resolution to their internal conflict.
In the beginning of The Treasure of Lemon Brown and The Pearl, the characters already know what they think is important to them. “He hadn’t been allowed to play high school ball, which he had really wanted to do, but playing for the Community Center team was the next best thing” (4). Greg knew right from the beginning of the story that he wanted to play high school ball. Even
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though Greg wants to play for the high school team, he is still showing that basketball is important to him by playing his second choice, the Community Center team. “And this was part of the family song too… Sometimes it rose to an aching chord that caught the throat, saying this safety, this is warmth, this is the Whole” (3). Kino’s family means everything to him. This quote is demonstrating that the family song is the “whole,” meaning that this is his life; his whole life. Greg and Kino already have a sense of what is important at the beginning of both books. As both stories progress, Greg and Kino both experience something that changes what is important to them.
“What else a man got ‘cepting what he can pass on to his son or daughter…” (14). Meeting Lemon Brown was the experience that helped Greg change what is important in his life. By hearing Lemon Brown say this, Greg was able to see from a father’s point of view so he understood what his dad was saying about basketball not being a first priority. “‘This pearl has become my soul,’ said Kino. ‘If I give it up I shall lose my soul.’” (67). For Kino, finding the pearl was the experience that changed his priorities. The pearl took over Kino’s life and even though his original plan was to use the pearl to help his family, he lost his focus and it became about the money. In each story, the characters go through events that change their sense in what is important, one being a good change and the other being a bad …show more content…
one. Eventually, Greg and Kino find a resolution to their internal conflict.
“Greg… thought of the lecture he knew his father would give him, and smiled” (15). This quote demonstrates that Greg knows what will happen next. By knowing the Greg smiled, the reader can infer that he is happy about it, meaning that he does not have the same feelings toward his dad that he did in the beginning of the book when he ran away. “... the keening, moaning, rising hysterical cry from the little cave in the side of the stone mountain, the cry of death” (87). By Kino’s son dying, Kino realizes how badly the pearl had affected his family and he decides to throw his pearl into the ocean. Getting rid of the pearl was another resolution because his family was no longer in danger and because the pearl made him lose more than he gained. In The Treasure of Lemon Brown and The Pearl, Greg and Kino both found resolutions to their internal conflict which, later on, benefited
them. In both stories, Greg and Kino experience events that show what is important in life, and experience that changes what is important, and a resolution to their internal conflict. For Greg, the thing that is most important to him is basketball. However, as the story progresses Greg meets Lemon Brown and realizes that his dad is doing what he is doing out of love. For Kino, however, the thing that is most important is his family. Yet, when he finds the pearl his priorities change. When his son dies, he rediscovers that the most important thing is indeed family.
The short story “The Treasure of Lemon Brown”, by Walter Dean Myers, Lemon Brown is a determined character. Lemon Brown is an old man who is on his own and he is also homeless with a treasure. “ He sat on the floor near Greg and carefully untied the strings that held the rags on his right leg. When he took the rags away, Greg saw a piece of plastic. The old man took off the plastic and unfolded it.” This is one quote that you will be able to find on page #737. The fact that Lemon Brown had kept his treasure tied around his right leg with strings, rags, and plastic to keep it safe and always with him, it really shows that he is very determined.
Set during the colonial era in Mexico, the story reveals the subjugation that the natives had to face and it shows the protagonist’s, Kino’s, attempt to go against the norms of the society and ask for something that was frankly unrealistic. This part of the story is related to the creative lens because Kino tried very hard to secure a future for his family but because the circumstances were not in his favor, he failed. It wasn’t socially accepted to ask for an education or a court marriage at that time for the natives because a native cannot desire to have what the colonists have. In this part of the story, the author uses the literary element of conflict to convey the message that even though Kino had the means to secure a future for himself, because he is a native and because he is aspiring to go against the social norms, he will eventually fail. As a result, it is clearly proven in The Pearl that humans will try to achieve something farfetched and will be unsuccessful in doing
Greg Ridley, a character in Walter Dean Myers Story "The Treasure Of Lemon Brown,” was sitting on the stoop of his apartment, awaiting another long lecture from his father about his grades. He looked up at the building, knowing he should go inside... but he didn't, Instead he walked away, storm cloud emanated his dark, somber mood. Eager to get out of the rain, Greg recalls an old house across the street. When Greg goes into that house, he does not value family, but through the course of the story Greg develops an understanding of what family is, and what real treasure is.
To demonstrate, “Greg pushed the button over the bell marked “Ridley,” thought of the lecture he knew his father would give him, and smiled” (Myers 26). This shows that Greg’s internal conflict of doing the right thing and listening to his father’s lectures or doing the wrong thing and having fun is resolved because Lemon Brown made Greg realize that lessons one learns early in life (e.g. Greg’s father’s lectures and Lemon Brown’s lesson on family love) sticks with them their whole life. This also demonstrates that Greg considers his father’s lectures to be more of a treasure that basketball because the lectures shape his life more significantly. Moreover, in The Pearl, “Kino drew back his arm and flung the pearl with all his might” (Steinbeck 89-90). This reveals the resolution of Kino’s internal conflict because he realizes that there are things more important that money. This also shows that Kino now values and appreciates Juana and their equality whereas before Kino was focused on being the leader of his family. Basically, Kino and Greg have different views on what is important in life than they did in the
In the story, “The Treasure Of Lemon Brown”, the author uses descriptive adjectives and figurative language, such as similes to make the story better.
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
Lemon Brown is a really thoughtful fellow, he would do anything to help Greg or any other stranger. He protected Greg when thugs came in to try to steal his treasure, in which we can see on page 736 where it says, “Greg saw him hurl his body at the men who had come to steal his treasure”. This shows that even thought Greg was a stranger, Lemon Brown still protected him. Lemon Brown is also very kind and will do almost anything if you ask nicely. After Lemon Brown saved Greg from the thugs, Greg wanted to see what they were trying to steal from Lemon Brown. Greg asked Lemon Brown if he could see his treasure so lemon Brown Showed him, “he revealed some yellowed newspaper clippings and a battered
To start off, Lemon shows that he is proud of his past when he brings up his old profession. Based on the story, when Lemon brings up his old blues career, Lemon says that, “They used to say I sung the blues so sweet that if I sang at a funeral, the dead would commence to rocking with the beat.” This shows that Lemon was great at the blues and is very proud of his past. Also, Lemon shares an amazing part of him with Greg. According to the text, when Lemon tells Greg that Jesse had Lemon’s treasure while in the war, Lemon exclaims, “If you know your pappy did something, you know you can do something too.” This statement shows that Lemon is happy that Jesse got to enjoy Lemon’s past success. To finish up, Lemon shows Greg an interesting piece of his past. Based on the text, when Greg sees Lemons treasure for the first time, he reads, “ [Lemon] had been the hit of the show.” This newspaper headline shows that Mr. Lemon Brown had once been a big hit in the blues industry.
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.
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
Kino, Juana, and Coyotito go back to the beach and row out to an oyster bed, where he begins to search for the pearl. As Kino continues to search, Juana takes things into her own hands after being refused by the doctor and sucks the poison out of Coyotito and then puts seaweed on the wound, unknowingly healing him. Meanwhile Kino gathers several small oysters but suddenly comes across a particularly large oyster. He picks the oyster up and returns to the surface. When Kino opens the oyster he discovers the pearl. Word that the pearl has been discovered travel through the town quickly. People in the town became jealous of Kino and his family which eventually leads to a great deal of harm.
If you were given a million dollars, what would you do? Spend it in a short amount of time? Or save it responsibly for the future? Many would say the latter, confident that they will accomplish that. But for a few, it doesn’t turn out that way. In the book, The Pearl, a family, Kino, Juana and their child, Coyotito, go through various hardships after they have found a pearl, eventually losing everything they had loved. With three examples from the novel, I will explain what the pearl in the book symbolizes.
After Kino found his great pearl bad things started happening, Kino and Juana's lives were in trouble. Two men notified in the book as the "dark ones" tried to steal the pearl, luckily Kino had been prepared and got rid of the enemies but that was not the end of the misery. Coyotito got very sick and the Doctor had deliberately made things worse. When it was time to sell the pearl, the buyers offered prices that Kino thought were too low. Kino was angry with the pearl buyers for what they had said. "I will not make an offer at all. I do not want it. This is not a pearl - it is a monstrosity." Kino got angry and decided he wanted to go elsewhere and find a buyer for the pe...
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
When Kino finds the pearl he is shocked. " It was as large as a seagull's egg. It was the greatest pearl in the world" (Steinbeck 19).Kino and Juana revel in the excitement thatsurrounds Kino's finding the pearl, but their happiness soon turns to distrust. The pearl buyers, whoKino has to sell the pearls to in order to make a profit, try to cheat him. They tell him that the