The Pearl by John Steinbeck
Uploaded by Gotskillz on Jul 04, 2004
Ever since greed erupted throughout the Bible, it appears to me that the greed of man has grown readily throughout time. Juana, Kino, The Priest and the Doctor have all undergone a transformation due to their wealth. They are all affected by their hunger for wealth and in turn are the foundation for their own devastation, and that of the society around them. I believe that Steinbeck’s “The Pearl” is a study of man’s self-destruction through his own greed.
Juana, the “patient, fragile wife” of Kino, a hardworking pearl fisherman, had lived a spiritual life for what seemed like as long as she could remember. When her son Coyotito fell ill from the bite of a scorpion, she eagerly turned towards the spiritual aspects of life, by beginning to pray for her son’s Precious life. The doctor resided in the upper-class section of the town, built of hard stone, while Kino and his friends resided in brush houses. This doctor refused to aid the child of his deadly bite, turning them away when they arrived at the door, for they had no riches to offer the “fat, lazy doctor”. Juana and Kino then sought out the sea to bring them the riches they so desperately needed to provide for Coyotito. When Kino set his eyes on what he called “The Pearl Of The World”, he felt as though all his prayers had been answered with this one pearl. One night, Kino heard a “sound so soft it might have been simply a thought…” and he quickly battered the trespasser. This is where the problems for Kino and his family originally began. The fear that had mounted in Kino’s body had taken control over his actions. Soon even Juana, who had always been “obedient and respectful” towards her husband, doubted him severely. “It will destroy us all” Juana screamed as her attempt to rid the family of the pearl had floundered. Kino, had not listened, however, and soon Juana began to lose her spiritual side and for a long time she had overlooked her prayers that had once meant so much to her. She had tried to help Kino before too much trouble had aroused, only to determine that she was not capable enough to help.
In the village of La Paz, where Kino and his family lived, there was a doctor who had earned his wealth by helping those that were ill...