Author: John Steinbeck
Date 07/06/13
By Robbie Delany
In The Pearl, author John Steinbeck uses the pearl to express the theme of human nature when confronted by wealth. At the beginning of the novella, the protagonist Kino finds a pearl of immense size and beauty, claiming it to be 'as perfect as the moon'. However, by the final stages of the book it is looked upon with disgust, suggesting that it contains the devil and is 'grey, like a malignant growth'. Steinbeck uses the pearl as a symbol for the pinnacle of ones hopes and dreams, which are used to illustrate the destructive force of obtaining wealth. He suggests to me that mankind is greedy. We are fixed with the idea that by acquiring wealth we will achieve happiness. Yet, Steinbeck also explains via the symbolism of the canoe, that by using ambitions to grasp wealth one will loose social and traditional connection. He explains to me that ambitions drive an individual until they stop to realise the destructive trail left behind. Greed, in a sense, is a natural desire that embodies anyone willing to put themselves before anyone else.
Steinbeck uses symbolism to express human greed when confronted by materialistic wealth. This became evident to me after Kino's discovery of the pearl in the second chapter. At the beginning of the book, Kino goes out in his canoe to fish for oysters in order to obtain a pearl. After fishing for a while he pulls up a catch of a single oyster containing a pearl of spectacular size and beauty, claiming it to be 'The pearl of the World'. Kino then reluctantly expresses what the pearl can offer him and his wife, suggesting "We will be married in the Church" and "We will buy new clothes". With the pearl, Kino can see a new and enhanced life that leads him to think of desires not even possible to dream of. This greed suddenly drives his ambitions to pursue wealth and status, however in doing so he develops, what I believe to be, an obsession. A slight insane paranoia envelops him, leaving him to think that happiness is suddenly dependant on wealth. This idea is further amplified when the pearl leads him to the destruction of anyone who will take such a future away. This results in the beating of his wife as she attempts to dispose of the pearl. The pearl illustrates to me the way ambition and greed destroy innocence. It presented a possible future to anyone who obtained it; offering riches, therefore 'happiness'. Yet ironically when Kino discovered the Pearl, his desire for wealth perverted its beauty and good luck, transforming it from a symbol of hope to a symbol of human destruction. By the end of the book, Kino and his wife have realised the destructive power of the pearl, concluding in them to cast it off into the sea. Despite abandoning the pearl, Kino is suddenly left in a state worse than he found it in, revealing the cruel realism of greed. After reading this book, I realise the importance of maintaining my ambitions. Although most of the time ambitions are beneficial, if I let them loose I will affect not only myself but others in the process as I would become more egocentric and would always desire more.
The use of symbolism in The Pearl explains to me that pursuing wealth through ambition will detach tradition and civility from ones life. This became evident to me after Kino's sudden decision to head to the capital in order to seek a fortune for his beloved pearl. Before departure, Kino starts to prepare his canoe in order to cross the great lake which lay between himself and the capital. However, as he begins to leave he sees a gaping hole at the bottom of the canoe. This canoe was Kino's means of making a living - providing pearls to sell and food to eat - that has been passed down for generations. This canoe represents Kino's link to culture and tradition, a symbol of modesty and devotion. However, when I first encountered this canoe in the book, Kino was already sick with greed, driven with his ambitions to seek wealth in a far off city. By leaving his canoe to walk towards the Capital, he immediately breaks his bond with his cultural heritage. With the pearl in Kino's hand, he is compelled only to seek material gain, leaving his surroundings irrelevant. Kino's life has changed due to the pearl, stating "This pearl has become my soul. If I give it up I shall lose my soul" as an excuse to beat his wife . This statement shows me the complete obsession that dominates his life, implying that to lose such a treasure is greater than to lose dignity and loved ones. I realise from reading this text the overwhelming loss of innocence that one develops in pursuit of personal gain. Morals simply become forgotten as the path to materialistic wealth is in sight.
John Steinbeck's The Pearl supports the idea of human corruption when faced with materialistic wealth. Steinbeck acknowledged this idea through the use of symbolism and plot. The pearl is the key symbol, representing great fortune as Kino is a poor fisherman. However, as his mind is continuously drawn to its possible value, he is suddenly lost in greed. This suggests to me that Kino's ambitions begin to destroy him, turning him from a devoted and happy father to a violent man who believes happiness is dependant upon wealth. This reverses the pearl to be a symbol of corruption rather than one of hope and fortune. Steinbeck's use of the canoe as a symbol further explains how traditional and social grasp is suddenly lost as one is consumed by greed. Wealth is the first option, whereas family and culture will always be second until one can ultimately give up their desires. The Pearl teaches me about greed. If I wander down such a path I will compromise all values I previously followed and I will affect all those I love in the process. In order to prevent such a destructive choice I will need to limit my wants and focus on my needs and values. The Pearl is a insightful book, granting me a greater understanding of greed in everyday life. The Pearl is an exceptional read.
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
Through the dis-equilibrium of capital markets, Woodwell articulates that because of the interdependency, different effects on the market can create a ripple effect and spread towards other types or marketing. In addition, she implies that negative effects result from the disequilibrium, indicating a need for equilibrium. This concept of the necessity of equilibrium can be portrayed in fiction as well. In John Steinbeck’s The Pearl, he dictates the story of a poor family that finds a pearl that will increase their wealth expontially, but as a result the families in society turns on the Kino’s family and attempt to steal the pearl. Kino, the father submits to his own greed and violence, beating his wife in order to stop her from throwing the pearl away, and eventually losing his son to hunters trying to take the pearl from him. (Stienbeck 1947). Kino’s family and his newfound wealth promote equilibrium through the imbalance of wealth created, as Kino’s family was poor before they encountered the…
- 1241 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
You hit the jackpot. Enough to provide for you and your family beyond your wildest dreams. Imagine the riches it would bring, but also the darkness of human nature. Kino lives contently in a small village with his wife Juana and son Coyotito. It’s a simple but happy life. That is until he finds “the pearl of the world”. Although it seems that all of their problems will be gone, in reality it gives way to evil and desire. John Steinbeck creates a remarkable novella following the story of Kino and his family as they are impacted by greed. In the story of The Pearl, characteristics of Aristotle’s System of Tragedy are evident through Kino’s demonstration of hamartia, catastrophe, and catharsis.…
- 472 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
In The Pearl, the pearl represents greed. After finding the pearl, Kino as well as the other characters become greedy because they want the power they believe the pearl contains. The events that take place evoke the reader’s emotions by changing the way the reader feels about a character due to their choices. This helps the author to convey the point that money and power leads to greed.…
- 533 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
“ Achievement of your happiness is the only moral purpose of your life, and that happiness, not pain or self-indulgence, is the proof of your moral integrity, since it is the proof and the result of your loyalty to the achievement of your values. ” In the short story, “The Treasure of Lemon Brown”, by Walter Dean Myers explores the values of Greg Ridley, a fourteen-year-old boy who wants to play basketball but can’t because of his low grade in math. John Steinbeck’s novel, The Pearl, is about Kino and his family, who are poor, but when he finds the pearl he thinks that it will help him and his family ,but that soon changes when he goes to sell the pearl and as he becomes corrupt with greed. In both the “Treasure of Lemon Brown” and The Pearl, the main characters experience conflicts that change their views of what is important in life.…
- 496 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
Every year the BGSU Common Read Experience Committee selected the common read book for the incoming freshmen. This year the committee chose A Pearl in the Storm: How I Found My Heart in the Middle of the Ocean as the common read experience. This book is a rip-roaring adventure that really catches your attention and really explains in great detail the struggles a hardworking woman has went through; the author Tori Murden McClure. Not only did this book pull you in and keep you wanting to read more it also received a very high award, the Christopher award, which celebrates films, TV, and books that contain the highest values of the human spirit. A Pearl in the Storm has also received national recognition. I personally believe that Tori Murden McClure’s book A Pearl in the Storm: How I Found My Heart in the Middle of the Ocean shows off these values and human spirit, I think she is worthy of the Christopher award that she has received. Tori is a hard working individual and through out her book you were able to capture that from her very easily. She constantly stuck up for her younger brother when no one else would, she never let love get in the way which really helps to show her individuality, she even pursued more sports than your average American girl while growing up and throughout her life, and she defiantly took on a more manly outlook, skills, and body structure.…
- 681 Words
- 3 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
The vital theme that John Steinbeck has examined was Greed, Greed as a Destructive force in Kino’s life. Kino seeks to gain wealth and status through the pearl and he transforms from a happy and comfortable father to a brutal criminal, and it is demonstrating that desires and greed are the root of all evil. As well as it destroys the innocence, and it is found in the New Testament in Paul’s first message to Timothy (1 Timothy 6:10) “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” This was the exact situation that happened to Kino. Kino’s greed led him to behave violently towards his spouse; it also led to his son’s death and it detached…
- 678 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
In the novel, “East of Eden”, John Steinbeck uses the controlling power of money to overcome greedy, curious, and desperate characters. Knowing money is necessary in life, most people will desire it, but in East of Eden it affects the lives of some of the main characters. Some in the book have an aspiration for money, while others find it come into their lives out of nowhere. The perception of wealth changes in characters. While some may find that money is the only wealth in life, others may see past this greedy obsession. Either good or bad, these interactions with money change their lives and the lives of others around them. Steinbeck uses wealth as a catalyst for the decisions that his characters make- whether they have money or whether they do not.…
- 958 Words
- 3 Pages
Better Essays -
oo much wealth satisfies individual’s heart desires but at times can bring worst out of him or her. The pearl is a novel written by John Steinbeck and examines a man’s own destruction through greed. In this novel, hope and evil consume Kino and the entire city of La Paz immediately information goes around that Kino found the pearl of the world. As asserted by Forman, greed, culture, anger, happiness, luck, death, mystery and evil are all major aspects in this book.…
- 401 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
had the pearl. Many people wanted what he had so they tried to take the pearl. But at the end of this novel, they felt differently. When these people saw that the pearl led to avarice, they didn’t want what Kino had anymore. The people saw the pearl as greed and troubles in Kino’s life at the end of the story. As I said, Many people wanted what he had in the beginning but there state of mind changed for this pearl.…
- 696 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
In The Pearl, Kino had lots of dreams about how his life would change for the better because of his breathtaking pearl. He dreamed about all the magnificent things the pearl would do for him and his family including bringing them enormous wealth. In the end, none of Kino’s dreams came true and his only child was shot and died. Not only was Kino extremely disappointed because the pearl didn’t have a positive impact on his life, he was also depressed because his only child was killed as a result of his dreams. In Of Mice And Men, George and Lennie had dreamed almost their whole lives of buying their own ranch and tending to rabbits. Instead of living happily ever after like they had imagined, George killed his good friend Lennie so neither of them got what they wanted. There’s no denying how awful these characters felt when their dreams that once seemed in the palms of their hands were suddenly miles away. But, if no one ever dreamed, how would we know what could have happened? What if we could achieve our goal and be amazed of our accomplishments? What if our dreams could change the world? It would be a shame if someone in the world could achieve something great, but they never tried because they were too afraid of being disappointed. Like Walt Disney said, “If you can dream it, you can do it.” In the end, there are many people throughout the world that have…
- 891 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
It has been five years since Kino and Juana through away the pearl back into the deep blue sea. Kino, has been having many dreams about the day Coyotito’s head had been blown off of his silk skin body. From that day, they knew that it was time to enter a period of hiding. A new King of Spain was chosen because of the old one being assassinated. It was the previous Kings son who was bloodthirsty to find where Kino and Juana were hiding because since Kino had killed a man, he was also pinned for the murder of King Aurellious; which was not a crime he had committed. The King of Spain had searched the native’s entire homeland to hopefully capture them, but the King was thinking to smart. For five years, Kino and Juana have been hiding in a dark black cave that was as cold as a freezer. They were feared of being ripped to shreds as if they were real animals being skinned. Kino and Juana have grown apart from purposes long ago, but they realized they needed each other for the problems they are encountering now.…
- 759 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
In his masterpiece, East of Eden, John Steinbeck’s theme of the American Dream focuses on a person’s desire to make a better life for his or her children. Adam Trask greatly portrays this theme when he tries to start an icebox business: “Adam was a fool. These know-it-all dreamers always got into trouble…People who inherited their money always got into trouble. And if you wanted any proof—just look at how Adam had run his ranch. A fool and his money were soon departed” (East of Eden, p. 438). In the novel, it becomes clear that Adam, among many Americans, believes strongly in the idea that money buys happiness. Adam’s yearning to gain money in his name demonstrates his plan to leave a large inheritance for Aaron and Cal, as his father had done for him and his brother. Ultimately, though, Adam’s business proves a failure, making him one of the many who have fallen to the lure of the American Dream. Furthermore, the brothel owner, Faye, also conveys the desire to create a better life for her child. She displays this theme through her adoption of Cathy: “’I…
- 3265 Words
- 14 Pages
Powerful Essays -
Steinbeck skillfully uses the pearl as a symbol to illustrate the emotions of hope, defiance and despair of the character kino.…
- 997 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
American novelist, Nathaniel Hawthorne, in chapter 6 of his novel The Scarlet Letter, argues that the main character Hester Prynne and her daughter Pearl are portrayed as outcasts towards the novels Puritan society and time setting. He supports this claim by first describing the worries Hester experiences for her growing daughter Pearls future reputation, then he lets the readers know that because of Hester's exclusion from society due to an act of transgression, she and Pearl become dependable companions towards one another, then Hawthorne continues to display the Puritans criticism within the children of the society and their isolation from charasmatic Pearl, and finally he personally notes in the novel by stating how pearl "...lacked reference…
- 178 Words
- 1 Page
Satisfactory Essays -
Children are, by nature, incredibly sensitive creatures. They can sense almost any emotion an adult might feel just by observing a particular person's body language and facial expressions. Such is the case with the youthful Pearl from the novel The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorn. As the daughter of the adulteress Hester Prynne, the townspeople view Pearl as a demon in an angel's clothing; as an imp who not only knows exactly what the letter "A" signifies on the breast of her mother, but as the demon who placed it there as well. They also believe Pearl uses this information against Hester by constantly mentioning the letter in order to make Hester extremely uncomfortable. This is not true.<br><br>" Nay, Mother, I have told all I know,' said Pearl more seriously than she was wont to speak 'But in good earnest now, Mother dear, what does this scarlet letter mean? -and why dost thou wear it on thy bosom? -and why does the minister keep his hand over his heart?' She took her mother's hand in both her own, and gazed into her eyes with an earnestness that was seldom seen in her wild and capricious character" (Hawthorne 175). <br><br>This dialogue does not seem to be the words of a demon, but a child who is utterly curious about what the letter on her mother's bosom means. One must not underestimate Pearl's intelligence though. In fact, Pearl is not the demon many consider her to be; instead she is intelligent and sensitive towards her surroundings and can thus understand much about the scarlet letter her mother wears. <br><br>"The neighboring townspeople had given out that poor little Pearl was a demon offspring; such as, ever since old Catholic times, had occasionally been seen on earth, through the agency of their of their mother's sin, and to promote some foul and wicked purpose" (Hawthorne 95-96). From this statement and many others similar to it throughout the novel, many readers are given the impression that Pearl is a possessed child. Before any type of…
- 1117 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays