What Does Steinbeck Mean By The Repercussions Of Greed?

John Steinbeck’s, The Pearl is an illustrative novella that shows readers the repercussions of greed, and how desire can control someone’s life. In this story, Steinbeck vividly describes the journey of a native man named Kino, and details how his life is driven off its tracks by a foreign emotion. As the title suggests, the tale winds through Kino’s life before and after he finds a magnificent pearl, and demonstrates how his desire for something better eventually tears his family apart. This novella reveals the restrictions of social class, and the drive that some have to break the expectations of their class, and push themselves into another. The Pearl is poignant story about love, family, and loss, and how greed can turn someone who was once carefree
When Kino’s baby son Coyotito is stung by a scorpion, he reaches out to the town doctor for help and advice. However, the doctor refuses to serve them, stating, “Have I nothing better to do than cure insect bites for little Indians? I am a doctor not a veterinarian”(1). The doctor’s reluctance to treat Kino and his people shows how he thinks he is above the indigenous people, and how he believes that they do not need, or deserve his help. Social limitations are also demonstrated when Kino talks to the pearl buyers, after he finds his marvelous pearl. The buyers try to trick Kino into believing that his pearl is not worth much,“This pearl is like fool’s gold. It is too large. Who would buy it? There is no market for such things”(4). The pearl buyer’s mockery of Kino and his people is made evident, though Kino cannot refute the buyer’s claims, because he is not educated, or as knowledgeable as the seller. Kino’s determination to find a better price for his pearl leads to a harrowing journey for both him and his family, which leaves devastation in its