The Pearl Family Structure

The Impact of Family Structure on Gender Roles Within a Household
“She knew she could help him best by being silent and by being near” (Steinbeck 26(PDF version) ). The Pearl revolves around Kino, a simple pearl diver in La Paz, Mexico, and his wife Juana, an obedient wife who hopes to support Kino. Kino, Juana, and their baby Coyotito live along the beach in La Paz and are simple folk. They are poor and are often taken advantage of by richer classes. Kino and Juana’s religion is a mixture of Roman Catholicism and the “Old Religion”. The story explores the negative consequences of sudden wealth. It is clear from the beginning, of the story that the male counterpart is the leader of the household. The family’s welfare rests solely on his
shoulders. The female, reality is self-evident, however, one might say that, at the time, the “family structure” was an escape for most woman, who had no other emotional support. It is not as though Juana wants to be in a position of low self-esteem, but on the contrary, she is forced into a misogynistic role because she has to be the mother to Coyotito. Once the baby is dead she is free to be Kino’s equal. The main allegory that is most prevalent is the idea that gender roles are influenced by family structure. The reason why Kino treats his wife in such a harsh way is due to the fact that she is a strong capable woman who cannot be compared to the woman of the village. It should also be important to note that, at that time, women in lower classes were given fewer opportunities to be more independent and also they were looked down upon in a society ruled by men with misogynistic worldviews. Such evidence that backs up this reasoning is when Kino is describing his wife and says, “Kino had wondered often at the iron in his patient, fragile wife. She, who was obedient and respectful and cheerful and patient, she could arch her back in child pain with hardly a cry. She could stand fatigue and hunger almost better... than Kino himself. In the canoe she was like a strong man” (Steinbeck 6 (PDF version)). From this quote, we can take away that Kino draws his strength from his wife. We have an inclination to know this because of Kino’s description of Juana. We can, clearly, interpret the hidden meaning of this quote to mean that he draws strength from her perseverance. Already, the reader can tell the basic distinctions between Juana and Kino and how their genders dictate their roles within the family and how they should behave. Do digress from the topic of gender roles and familial personal relationship The Pearl also emphasizes Juna becoming more outspoken concerning the evil of the pearl, but Kino believes as a man he knows what is best.
At the time of the writing of The Pearl gender roles were more of an informal rule where, in a relationship, the male figure dominated/dictated the household. For a woman to step out of her informal role as caretaker to the children and sustainer of the family meant disgrace and shame on a “universal” conduct. Such evidence that backs up my reasoning is when Juana is ready to get rid of the “evil” pearl and the author writes: “Her arm was up to throw when he leaped at her and caught her arm and wrenched the pearl from her. He struck her in the face with his clenched fist and shoe fell among the boulders, and he kicked her in the side. In the pale light, he could see the little waves break over, and her skirt floated about and clung to her legs as the water receded” (Steinbeck 59). Because of Kino’s stance in the family, in a play towards dominance, he hits Juana in an effort to establish supremacy over her (due to her being a woman) and to institute power over her valid judgment over the pearl. Here we see that family structure (at its simplest form) dictates gender role
expectations. It is important to note that family is not just an exchange of rules and demands, but the gathering of like-minded people bound with certain moral responsibilities. The gender role structure, within the family, was intentionally made to help people understand duties and responsibilities conceived after birth due to factors such as; social class, socio-economic well-being, and gender.