The Pearl Lessons Essay

Be careful what you wish for. This is something that should have been said to Kino in The Pearl. A parable is a story that has a moral. It has the ability to teach the reader a lesson through literature. In The Pearl, a parable by John Steinbeck, there are a number of lessons throughout the story that are supported by the theme. Through Kino’s experiences throughout the story, it is shown that having fortune can change the way you act. When Kino found the pearl, he thought greedy thoughts. “He himself was dressed in new white clothes, and he carried a new hat - not of straw but of fine black felt - and he too wore shoes - not sandals but shoes that laced.” (24). Kino is thinking about the things he can buy, and they are things for status and lifestyle improvement. He is being greedy by thinking about these things because they aren’t things that his family necessarily needs. “And - his mind could hardly make the leap - a rifle - but why not since he was so rich” (25). Kino doesn’t want the rifle for protection or sport, but because he knows he has the money. Out of greed, Kino is buying things for the wrong reasons. Even if he
“No one has ever seen such a pearl” (50). Kino is saying that his pearl is worth a lot, and that it is such a great pearl that no one has ever seen one like it. This shows how he just assumes that his pearl is the best without even knowing. it is making him become arrogant. “You have defied not the pearl buyers, but the whole structure, the whole way of life, and I am afraid for you” (54). When Juán Tomas says this it shows how the pearl caused Kino to do things that would go against his way of life and how he’s supposed to act. It shows that Kino is willing to go against society, which is something he wouldn’t have done before he found the pearl. Kino knows the wealth of his pearl, and he let it change the way he was viewed by