Juana And Kinna Differences

John Steinbeck’s The Pearl is based on an ancient Mexican folktale. It is a short parable which portrays the importance of being content with one’s life through the tragedy of a poor pearl diver and his family. When they stumble across a possible great fortune, the “Pearl of the World,” they are met with a string of great evils. They are consequently forced to return the pearl to the ocean. The diver, Kino, and his wife, Juana, change throughout the story in a variety of ways. Their motivations, however, stay constant. Juana and Kino are developed and motivated in The Pearl in ways which have many similarities and differences.

To begin, Juana and Kino change as characters throughout the story. They learn over the course of the story to be
Both Juana and Kino put their family first. They are driven everyday by their family and they always give their spouse and child priority. This can be seen when Kino offers to lead the trackers away. Their motivations diverge when it comes to how they approach tough situations. Juana and Kino are a great example of a logical person and an emotional person. Juana views things objectively and evaluates all options before she makes a decision. This is apparent because of how soon she realizes the danger of the pearl. She wants to have the great fortune it offers but she knows that it is not worth it. Kino, however, is much more subjective and lets his emotions get in the way. He neglects to see the pearl as evil because his mind is filled with ambition. He only realizes how evil it is once it leads to the death of his son. Kino’s emotions are also represented by the recurring theme of songs. As these songs get louder, his emotions take over and his judgement fails. This leads to him crushing the scorpion to a pulp and killing the dark figures. Overall, Juana and Kino are both motivated by their family but she thinks logically and he thinks