The Pearl

The Pearl Humans are never satisfied; you give them one thing and they want something more. In the novel The Pearl, by John Steinbeck, the main character becomes consumed by wealth and a promising future. Kino changed drastically throughout the novel, loosing track of what was most important to him, his family. Kino went from having a simple and complete life as a fisherman in a warm and loving community to a life of never being satisfied. He was a loving father and husband that provided for his family but became abusive and controlling. His culture was rich and he was deeply connected to his aboriginal spirituality through songs, a connection he ignores as he became consumed by the pearl. “Kino looked at the hanging box where Coyotitio slept… He turned his head to Juana, His wife…She was looking at him as she was always looking at him when he awakened” (p.1-2). Sitting by the fire eating corncakes as morning sun rises, hoping the day brings a promising amount of fish are about the only worries Kino dealt with and the only worries he needed. Perfectly content with what he had, Kino never desired more because he knew he couldn’t have more. Finding the “pearl of the world” allowed him to have more; Kino now talks of owning a rifle, new clothes and marrying Juana in a church. “And the music of the pearl had merged with the music of the family so that one beautified the other” (p.30). This example shows how the pearl begins to become part of his life. He saw the fortune in it and he knew what a bright future it could bring to his family. Unfortunately, fortune can be misleading, bringing greed along with conflict and bad people. The presence of the pearl turned his simple existence into a very complex nightmare.
Kino’s family song is passed down by his ancestors and gives great meaning to him; the meaning of safety, warmth and together as a whole. “He threw it down and beat it into the earth’s floor with his fist…Kino beat and stamped the enemy