Theme Of Poverty In The Pearl And Of Mice And Men

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Recommended: Literature as the reflection of the society

A strong theme in literature evokes an emotion from the reader. It pulls the reader into the work and sets a certain tone. It is the link between the reader and the work. In John Steinbeck 's The Pearl and Of Mice and Men the theme of poverty is the most prevalent throughout. This theme is strongly demonstrated through the settings, characters and symbols in both works. One way the theme of poverty is depicted in The Pearl and Of Mice and Men is through the settings in both works. In The Pearl Kino and his family live in a small brush house near the water. As the sun warms the brush house, a ray of light, "Fell on the hanging box where Coyotito lay, and on the ropes that held it" (Steinbeck Pearl 4). Coyotito 's hanging box shows the poverty …show more content…

After the doctor 's visit to Kino 's house, Kino feels the threat of someone talking his pearl during the night so, "He went to the place by the side post where the pearl was buried, and he dug it up and brought it to his sleeping mat, and under his sleeping mat he dug another little hole in the dirt floor and buried the pearl and covered it up again" (Steinbeck Pearl 36). This shows the poverty that they live in because of the dirt floors throughout the brush house. The doctor wants to steal the pearl while Kino sleeps, and seeing that Kino lives in a small brush house with dirt floors, the doctor knows exactly where the pearl can be, buried in the dirt. The safest place that Kino can hide the pearl in is in a little hole under his sleeping mat. Kino does not have a lot of choices, all he has is the empty brush house, the dirt floor and the beach around him. Kino 's house has dirt floors, but even the city 's roads are made of stone. The fact that Kino 's floor, in his own house, is just the same dirt from outside, shows how poor Kino is. Likewise, in Of Mice and Men the theme of poverty is demonstrated by the bunkhouse that George, Lennie and the other men live in, while they work on the ranch. When George and Lennie get to the new ranch, the see where they will be staying for the first …show more content…

I lost my hand right here on this ranch. That 's why they give me a job swampin '. An ' They give me two hundred an ' fifty dollars 'cause I los ' my hand. An ' I got fifty more saved up right here in the bank, right now. Tha 's three hundred, and I got fifty more comin ' the end a the month/ They 'll call me purty soon. Jus ' as soon as I can 't swamp out no bunkhouses they 'll put me on the county. Maybe if I give you guys my money, you 'll let me hoe in the garden even after I ain 't no good at it/ I won 't have no place to go, an ' I can 't get no more jobs. (Steinbeck Mice

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