ipl-logo

Archetypes In The Pearl

640 Words3 Pages

The psychologist, Carl Jung, says that universal characters reside within the collective unconscious of people around the world. These characters are called archetypes. According to Jung, every story has similar archetypes to each other. The Pearl, written by John Steinbeck, also has archetypes. There are many different archetypes in the novella, The Pearl. Three of these archetypes are the hero, the trickster, and the shadow. Kino is the tragic hero. “This pearl has become my soul. If I give it up, I shall lose my soul.” (page 67). This quote states that Kino won’t give up the pearl because he has become greedy. One of the reasons why Kino is a tragic hero is because he is greedy. “My son will go to school...we will be married...we will …show more content…

“Every man suddenly became related to Kino’s pearl, and Kino’s pearl went into the dreams, the speculations, the schemes, the plans, the futures, the wishes, the needs, the lusts, the hungers of everyone, and the only person that stood in the way and that was Kino, so that he became curiously every man’s enemy.” (page 23). This quote states that everyone envies Kino and wants the pearl’s wealth for himself or herself. Later in the book, one of these people will try to take the pearl. This will cause Kino to try to protect the pearl at all costs. “And then Kino’s brain cleared from its red concentration and he knew the sound - the keening, moaning, rising hysterical cry from the little cave in the side of the stone mountain, the cry of death.” (page 87). This quote states that Coyotito was killed, while Juana and Kino were running away. They were running away because Kino had killed someone, who was trying to steal the pearl. Kino was the one who in reality killed Coyotito. The pearl was the reason why everything bad started happening to Kino and his family. The pearl is the shadow because it opposes the hero. In The Pearl, Kino is the hero, the doctor is the trickster, and the pearl is the shadow. There are many different archetypes, in The Pearl, that make a big impact. The message I took from this book was the importance of family and doing what is necessary to help them live a better

Show More
Related
779 Words | 4 Pages

The pragmatic anti-hero is someone who is fundamentally good that will sacrifice someone/something for the greater good (#6). The pragmatic anti-hero is Rowan. The last archetype we see that supports the theme is star crossed lovers. Star crossed lovers are two characters engaged in a “love” affair fated to end tragically due to the disapproval of society, friends, family, or some tragic situation (#2). This archetype helps deepen the theme because Citra and Rowan share feelings for each other but they cannot follow those feelings because it is illegal for scythes to be in a

Read More
951 Words | 4 Pages

Juana pleads for Kino to get rid of the pearl, he talks her into relief and assurance that he will sell the pearl. Kino arrives at a pearl dealer’s store, only to be told that the pearl is only worth a small

Read More
557 Words | 3 Pages

In The Pearl, events in Kino’s life cause him to change from the beginning to the end of the story. “ It was a morning like other mornings and yet perfect among mornings.” This is a quote from The Pearl shows that Kino is content with his life. Even though Kino is poor he is happy and not searching for other things to come into his life.

Read More
78 Words | 1 Pages

Pearl, throughout the book, shows everyone in a new light. Through the eyes of a child, filled with understanding. Wanting to learn more about the people around her, lets us also get to read more of them in depth. Making Pearl essential to the book, from her birth giving the main plot of the story, to her being treated by the millionairess elders of the town, and finally being awaken into the new world, through so many deaths.

Read More
521 Words | 3 Pages

In comparison to what happened to Kino in the novel is that once he found the pearl he had become the enemy of everyone. For example like the doctor at first he didn’t want to attend Kino because they were poor and had nothing to offer. But once the news got out that he had the pearl of the world he became interested. Both Kino’s and Callie’s fortune have brought people

Read More
1817 Words | 8 Pages

The Pearl not having a specific time of when it took place, is about two parents, Kino and Juana, poor like George and Lennie, attempting to pay for a doctor’s appointment for their child (Coyotito) who received a scorpion sting with an abnormally large sized pearl but having the misfortune that they get an unfair estimate on the value of that said pearl. Ultimately leading to them throwing the pearl back where it came from, the ocean. Having

Read More
769 Words | 4 Pages

The stranger attacks Kino in an attempt to find the pearl and steal it. Kino’s actions are described as follows, “His right hand went into his shirt and felt his knife… he stood up and walked to the doorway” (55) Kino is attacked and Steinbeck tells the reader how Juana reacts. “Kino lay on the ground, struggling to ride… Juana dropped her stone, and she put her arms around Kino and helped him to his feet… blood oozed down…”

Read More
609 Words | 3 Pages

Towards the end of the story, Kino begins to understand the appalling symbol that the Pearl really represents. By this point, his only son, Coyotito has been slaughtered as a result of people 's greed for it. Kino’s conclusive visions in the Pearl are ghastly, which are visible in the quote: “...In the surface of the Pearl he saw Coyotito lying in the little cave with the top of his head shot away...the Pearl was ugly; it was gray, like a malignant growth”(89). Outside factors are affecting the Pearl’s image, eventually destroying the good. Finally realizing the disgusting nature of the Pearl, Kino throws it into the ocean ending the Pearl’s presence in the story.

Read More
575 Words | 3 Pages

One simple pearl can ruin many lives. There are only good and bad things in the book. The theme in John Steinbeck's book, The Pearl illustrates how good and evil affect the plot, how Steinbeck prompts good and evil, and how good can turn into bad. In the book, good and evil can affect the plot of the story. For example, Kino was very intimidating at the end of the book, "

Read More
432 Words | 2 Pages

People are chasing him to get the pearl before he sells it, but he uses violence to protect it. For instance, Steinbeck describes that “The great knife swung and crunched hollowly. It bit through neck and deep into his chest. He whirled and struck the head of the seated man like a melon… Kino had become cold and deadly as steel.

Read More
506 Words | 3 Pages

Kino, A Dynamic Character In The Pearl by John Steinbeck, A poor pearl diver’s son was stung by a scorpion. Kino, the father, was too poor to get help, so he went on a hunt to find a pearl, hoping the pearl would pay for a doctor to help his only son; however the pearl is evil. The pearl causes Kino’s life to change his relationship with family, his contentment, and his humanity. In this story Kino is a dynamic character.

Read More
697 Words | 3 Pages

Even though Kino succeeded in finding the pearl, success did not follow. “Kino’s fist closed over the pearl and his emotions broke over him. He put back his head and howled.” After wanting this pearl more than anything, Kino was forced to face his failure of saving his son. This failure was unbearable for Kino, as he had tried as hard as he possibly could.

Read More
427 Words | 2 Pages

After halfheartedly pawing at a smaller one, eagerness overcomes him, and Juana softly urges him to open the prize catch. Expertly cutting into the edge of the shell Kino cuts the shell open to reveal the biggest pearl that they have ever seen. The sun of the gulf reflected off the perfect surface of the pearl. Her eyes nearly as wide as the pearl, Juana shrieks “Kino” shrilly,in astonishment to find that Coyotito’s wound has improved in the presence of the great pearl. Kino, overcome with emotion, tenses his entire body and lets out a resounding,guttural roar.

Read More
970 Words | 4 Pages

(65). As Kino’s house burns down the neighbors wonder whether r Kino and his family are inside, Kino can even hear all of the worried voices. If the same circumstance would have taken place at the beginning of the story, when Kino was a more honest man, he would have come out from his brother’s brush house and said that he and his family were fine, and maybe even take responsibility for killing the dead man next to the brush house. However, because Kino becomes corrupted by the power that the pearl gives him, he becomes dishonest, hides and runs away. The influence of the pearl degrades him, from a state of honesty to a state of corruption and he ends up bringing misery to himself, to his family and even to

Read More
871 Words | 4 Pages

Upon finding the pearl the people in the community bring forth greed and envy upon Kino and Juana. Everyday seemed plagued with paranoia for the family. After an attempt by an outsider to steal the pearl, Juana suggests to Kino that they “break it between stones” (38). The pearl was “like a sin!” (38).

Read More

More about Archetypes In The Pearl

Open Document