The Pearl Greed Research Paper

Throughout The Pearl, by John Steinbeck we see the recurring theme of happiness and greed. These two themes are often closely intertwined, be it someone who doesn’t need money for happiness, someone who longs for riches to provide joy, or someone who, after coming into money, finds it’s not as great as expected. Steinbeck’s novel shows different stages of riches as they correlate to being happy. There is the bliss of not ever having has money and therefore being content to go on without it, the greed and misfortune of someone who has become wealthy, and the painful nostalgia of one who has lost the riches they recall loving. Kino and others’ experiences show that the true key to happiness does not lie in money.

Before the pearl comes into the story, Kino and Juana are perfectly content with their lives. They do not need superficial items to make them happy, merely the world around them provides them with the happiness they need, “Kino heard the little splash of of morning waves on the beach, it was very good- Kino closed his eyes and listened to his music” (1-2) For
He begins to hear evil in everything, where he had previously heard mostly songs of family, “But Kino’s hand had closed tightly on the pearl again, and he was glancing about suspiciously , for the evil song was in his ears, shrilling against the music of the pearl.” (28) The pearl made him fearful, as he was afraid to lose what he had just gotten. He and Juana have different views on what should happen to the pearl. While Juana believes they should dispose of the pearl, Kino thinks they should keep it. This leads to them being torn apart. “Let us throw it back into the sea, it has brought evil, Kino, my husband, it will destroy us,” (38) The greed of others wanting the pearl for themselves, and Kino wanting more for the pearl then offered leads Juana to be right, and the pearl destroys their