Pearl Back Into The Sea example essay topic

John Steinbeck's The Pearl tells the story of Kino, a poor pearl diver who lives in Mexico with his wife, Juana and his baby boy, Coyotito. One day Kino finds a huge pearl worth a great deal of money. Kino dreams of being rich and buying all that he wants after he sells the pearl. The one thing that Kino doesn't realize is that there are many people who will do anything to steal the pearl from him. No one ever suspects the pearl's power to deceive, corrupt, and destroy. Hence, The Pearl depicts the ultimate battle between good and evil.

When Kino finds the pearl he is shocked. ' It was as large as a seagull's egg. It was the greatest pearl in the world' (Steinbeck 19). Kino and Juana revel in the excitement that surrounds Kino's finding the pearl, but their happiness soon turns to distrust. The pearl buyers, who Kino has to sell the pearls to in order to make a profit, try to cheat him.

They tell him that the pearl is so big that it has no value. Kino has to hide the pearl, but while he sleeps a thief tries to steal it. The doctor who would not treat Coyotito's scorpion bite when they had no money now comes to them offering the best medical care he can provide. As the story of Kino's situation unfolds, Kino is forced to kill three men, and worst of all, Kino accidentally shoots Coyotito in the head while he is trying to shoot his pursuers.

Finally, at Juana's urging, Kino throws the pearl back into the sea. He has made nothing from his find, yet he has lost a great deal that is precious to him. From the very first day that Kino found the pearl it brought him and his family nothing but bad luck. For example, the doctor, who just recently learns of Kino's discovery, knowingly gives Coyotito medicine that will make him worse. Kino now owes him double because he has to return to properly cure him. People are already taking advantage of Kino.

Again he is taken advantage of when the pearl buyers tell Kino that the pearl is worthless. They are setting him up so they can steal the pearl or get it from him for a low price. Kino now has to live in fear of being robbed. He now knows that the pearl buyers are after it.

While he sleeps a man breaks into his house and tries to steal the pearl. Kino fights him off and ends up killing him. He now is forced to leave town. Juana is starting to realize that the pearl is bad luck and tells Kino to throw it back into the sea.

'No' he said. 'I will fight this thing. I will win over it. We will have our chance' (Steinbeck 57). Kino doesn't realize that the pearl is ruining him until it is too late. 'The pearl comes to represent all that is bad in life, all that is, in the eyes of the superstitious peasant unlucky' (Magill 1896).

Warren French comments, 'Not until he has killed three men, seen his boat destroyed, and his baby killed by his pursuers does he return the pearl to the sea' (128). The pearl is '... a symbol of all the strivings of humankind. Dreams keep people going, offering them future hope even if the present is bleak' (French 1897). 'It is this pearl,' said Juan Tomas.

'There is a devil in this pearl. You should have sold it and passed on the devil. Perhaps you can still sell it and buy peace for yourself' (Steinbeck 64). If only Kino had took the advice of his brother he might not have lost his precious son, his boat, his home, and his self respect. I think that Kino knew that the pearl was bad luck, but he wanted so badly for his son to be well educated and well raised, and for he and Juana to be properly married in a church that he was oblivious that his life was crumbling around him.

Kino was better off when he had nothing. The pearl was thought to be a blessing to his family, but it turned out to completely demolish them.