Short story The Pearl. The Value of Nothing
David Colanzi
603-101-MQ (Sect. 23): Effective Reading and Writing
Instructor: Brent Devine
December 5th 2012
Word Count: 836
The Value of Nothing
In the short story The Pearl written by John Steinbeck, throughout the story, Kino’s decisions and morals change by wanting and expecting more than what he currently has. Basically by expecting more out of the Pearl, Kino wanted to do good for his family. Steinbeck wants the readers to understand how something so small, this shiny pearl becomes more valuable and worthy than the real meaningful things such as family, health and nutrition. Also after reading the book, Steinbeck wants the reader’s to not loose sight that the real important things remain within our everyday surroundings and not to put emphasis on infatuated needs that at the end were meaningless. This is what Kino tried to do but he kind of got carried away and ended up going out of hand, and to a certain point a little too far. He ends up realizing this at the end of the story. The day Kino found the Pearl, he immediately thought about what price he could get for the pearl. The main reason for this was more importantly for his son, to pay for his medical treatments and try to get the best education possible. This following quote states that, “ My son will read and open the books, and my son will write and will know writing. And my son will make numbers, and these things will make us free because he will know---he will know and through him we will know” (26). Kino thought that by having the Pearl this will change the life of his family as well, by moving into a nicer and bigger house. Their household was going to amount to huge and important value. At the beginning of the novel, Kino was just like any other ordinary person, loving normal and a humble man. The following quote explains that, “It was a morning like other mornings and yet perfect among mornings” (4). Kino was the kind of husband that wakes up every morning and
603-101-MQ (Sect. 23): Effective Reading and Writing
Instructor: Brent Devine
December 5th 2012
Word Count: 836
The Value of Nothing
In the short story The Pearl written by John Steinbeck, throughout the story, Kino’s decisions and morals change by wanting and expecting more than what he currently has. Basically by expecting more out of the Pearl, Kino wanted to do good for his family. Steinbeck wants the readers to understand how something so small, this shiny pearl becomes more valuable and worthy than the real meaningful things such as family, health and nutrition. Also after reading the book, Steinbeck wants the reader’s to not loose sight that the real important things remain within our everyday surroundings and not to put emphasis on infatuated needs that at the end were meaningless. This is what Kino tried to do but he kind of got carried away and ended up going out of hand, and to a certain point a little too far. He ends up realizing this at the end of the story. The day Kino found the Pearl, he immediately thought about what price he could get for the pearl. The main reason for this was more importantly for his son, to pay for his medical treatments and try to get the best education possible. This following quote states that, “ My son will read and open the books, and my son will write and will know writing. And my son will make numbers, and these things will make us free because he will know---he will know and through him we will know” (26). Kino thought that by having the Pearl this will change the life of his family as well, by moving into a nicer and bigger house. Their household was going to amount to huge and important value. At the beginning of the novel, Kino was just like any other ordinary person, loving normal and a humble man. The following quote explains that, “It was a morning like other mornings and yet perfect among mornings” (4). Kino was the kind of husband that wakes up every morning and
Cited: Steinbeck, John. The Pearl. 1945. New York: Penguin, 1992. Print.