What Does The Pearl Symbolize

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"What various things does the pearl symbolize? What does it mean to Kino at different stages of the novel? What does it mean to different members of the community?" “The Pearl” by John Steinbeck is a story that consists of many real life scenarios as well as many symbolizations throughout the novel. Certainly, every event that occurred was connected to one item, the Pearl, which the main character Kino discovered in the beginning of the story. Although a pearl would generally equal wealth, the town of “La Paz” did not have the same outlook on the pearl. The pearl symbolized the true nature of those who came in contact with it including wealth, greed, good fortune, evil, and hope. This is so, because it depends on the values of the person viewing it, and Kino’s value was to become rich. Kino looked at the pearl from a greedy and wealthy perspective and as the novel progressed his behavior only worsened. As for the community, almost everybody viewed the pearl from a selfish perspective, looking to gain their own good fortune from this discovery. Indeed the pearl should have brought happiness to the community of La Paz, however, this is the opposite of what the town endured when faced with the wealth of the pearl. …show more content…

Once the pearl was discovered, the town of La Paz let their greed overcome the good qualities they all had. “He has found the pearl of the world,” they cried and they joined forefinger with thumb to show how great the pearl was. Kino will be a rich

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