The well-crafted novella The Pearl by John Steinbeck is an amazing parable colored with vivid descriptions, specific wording, and great character growth. Kino, one of said characters, is a pearl diver, father, and husband, and is often portrayed as the absolutely normal man who lives an absolutely normal life. Little does he know that a grave amount of bad luck comes with what he believes is a great fortune. Kino’s greed for the “Pearl of the World”(Steinbeck 50) blinds him from his benevolent hopes and dreams that he has for his family’s future. At first, the reader will think that Kino is an impoverished man who has big dreams despite the fact he is perfectly content with what he has. The Pearl becomes the answer to everything Kino wanted,
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The Pearl here is symbolizing good fortune, however, Kino unknowingly uses his fortune to pervert his relationship and strong belief to his culture, and to reverse the pure ideals he has for his family. Steinbeck narrates: “Kino looked down at [Juana] and his teeth were bared. He hissed at her like a snake. [ . . . ] She knew there was murder in him”(Steinbeck 59). This is how Kino is described when Juana tries to steal and destroy the Pearl. The whole ideal of this scene in the book is to show what the Pearl has turned Kino into. The direction of Kino’s development as a person and character is from a protective and loving father and husband to a person who is depraved and blind from humane morality and …show more content…
When Kino, Juana, and Coyotito are in the mountains trying to hide, Kino looks back at Juana:“And he said quickly, ‘We will be married in a great church.’ And in the Pearl he saw Juana with her beaten face crawling home through the night. ‘Our son must learn to read,’ he said frantically”(Steinbeck 71). It is indeed true that his dreams for Juana and himself as well as little Coyotito are not at all selfish but the lengths that Kino is willing to go now seems endless with the Pearl. The key word here is “frantically” - this want to receive the rightful amount of money for his Pearl and this greed, this evil, it has taken over his mind, utterly corrupting his kind soul. However contrary to the previous sentence:“This Pearl has become my soul,” said Kino. “If I give it up I shall lose my soul”(Steinbeck 67) and this demonstrates Kino just before he becomes greedy. He still believes that the Pearl is the answer to all his prayers and that is the best luck possible, but Kino is subconsciously shifting his true dreams. The most important thing to him before the Pearl was his family, but now the Pearl has consumed his purpose, his drive in life. By
The Pearl here is symbolizing good fortune, however, Kino unknowingly uses his fortune to pervert his relationship and strong belief to his culture, and to reverse the pure ideals he has for his family. Steinbeck narrates: “Kino looked down at [Juana] and his teeth were bared. He hissed at her like a snake. [ . . . ] She knew there was murder in him”(Steinbeck 59). This is how Kino is described when Juana tries to steal and destroy the Pearl. The whole ideal of this scene in the book is to show what the Pearl has turned Kino into. The direction of Kino’s development as a person and character is from a protective and loving father and husband to a person who is depraved and blind from humane morality and …show more content…
When Kino, Juana, and Coyotito are in the mountains trying to hide, Kino looks back at Juana:“And he said quickly, ‘We will be married in a great church.’ And in the Pearl he saw Juana with her beaten face crawling home through the night. ‘Our son must learn to read,’ he said frantically”(Steinbeck 71). It is indeed true that his dreams for Juana and himself as well as little Coyotito are not at all selfish but the lengths that Kino is willing to go now seems endless with the Pearl. The key word here is “frantically” - this want to receive the rightful amount of money for his Pearl and this greed, this evil, it has taken over his mind, utterly corrupting his kind soul. However contrary to the previous sentence:“This Pearl has become my soul,” said Kino. “If I give it up I shall lose my soul”(Steinbeck 67) and this demonstrates Kino just before he becomes greedy. He still believes that the Pearl is the answer to all his prayers and that is the best luck possible, but Kino is subconsciously shifting his true dreams. The most important thing to him before the Pearl was his family, but now the Pearl has consumed his purpose, his drive in life. By