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John Steinbeck Thesis

608 Words3 Pages

The Pearl

Everybody wants something of beauty, but in this story something beautiful tears a family apart. John Steinbeck, the famous American author, wrote the novela The Pearl. Kino was a poor man who was very pleased with his life, he practically had everything he wanted. As we walk with Kino in this story we will find out that one thing will change his entire life. Throughout the novel, what Kino views as important in life changes as he learns to cope with his inner demons. At the beginning of the story, Kino values his family and his boat. “But Kinoo beat and stamped the enemy until it was only a fragment and a moist place in the dirt.” (Steinbeck,6). This shows that he cares about his family because once Coyotito was stung he became furious and protective. Kino will go through all costs to protect his family. “Now he came to the canoe and touched the bow tenderly as he always did.” (Steinbeck,15). Kino cares for his canoe because it was passed down from his father after Kino’s grandfather gave it to him. It is very important to him from being passed down, it is one thing of value in his life at the time. Kino views many things as important in life but once he finds the pearl his values change. …show more content…

“He struck her in the face with his clenched fist and she fell among the boulders, and he kicked her in the side.” (Steinbeck,59). Kino was willing to Juana when she was about to throw the pearl back into the sea. The greed and evil from the pearl has taken over him by this point. “Our son must go to school. He must break out of the pot that holds us in.” (Steinbeck,38-39). The indians were seen as animals to the people of the town. If Coyotito went to school the people might look at the people of his kind differently. After the greed and evil takes over Kino he starts to feel guilty and angry at

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Their reason was simple: Kino had found the ‘Pearl of the World”. Kino looks deep into the pearl to see the glories and bright future for him and his family: he properly weds Juana, sends Coyotito to a good school, and lives a successful life. The doctor accepts to treating Coyotito, which gives the couple some worry. Kino repeatedly buries and unearths the pearl which gives Juana some concern. Later Kino sees a person near his hut, assumes it is a thief, attacks, and fails to catch the entity.

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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.

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413 Words | 2 Pages

I think that Kino was so persistent to keep the pearl because he knew that with it, he would be able to send Coyotito to school and have a real wedding with Juana. With the pearl Kino felt that he could protect his family. In the end, the pearl ended up tearing apart the very thing he was trying to protect, his family. Similarly, in Of Mice and Men, with George’s strong intent to protect Lennie, he was forced to kill Lennie. Contrasting with Of Mice and Men, I do feel that Coyotito’s death was not necessarily caused by a will to protect, but it was

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606 Words | 3 Pages

Kino became greedy (starting in Chapter 4) for the money and power that radiates off of the Pearl. Juana never liked the Pearl, especially now that it has made Kino hallucinate and become

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On page 59 the text says, “In that instant Juana knew that the old life was gone forever. A dead man in the path and Kino's knife dark bladed beside him, convinced her” This quote is describing how the pearl took kino’s old life and took his best and created it to be his worst. The pearl not only affected Kino’s personality but it turned Juana’s life and turned it inside out.

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In the world, music creates a place where people can rant and relate themselves to when they’re going through whether it’s family issues heartbreaks, or celebrations. In my life I go through similar problems, and there is always that one song or lyric that you’re able relate to and it fully describes you. That song for me is R&B/Gospel artist Mary-Mary’s song “Walking.” I say this because it shows how I am ambitious and humble.

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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

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629 Words | 3 Pages

Throughout the novella, as Kino’s senses of what’s important in life change, he is forced to cope with the resolution to his internal conflicts. At the beginning of the story, Kino values his family and canoe as the most important things in life. “And this was part of the family song too. Sometimes it rose to an aching chord that caught the throat, saying this is safety, this is warmth, this is the whole” (Steinbeck, 3).

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People thirsty for the pearl had burned Juana and Kino’s hut leaving them with nothing, but the pearl, Coyotito and themselves. Kino had a brother, Juan Tomás, that allowed them to hide out in his hut, until they were ready to leave and go live somewhere they could be safe. On the way to their safe place, trackers who are looking for the pearl and Kino are following them. Kino decides that he needs to divert the trackers away from his wife and son so he takes off running another direction away from his family. While Juana and a crying Coyotito are hiding in a cave, one of the trackers hear his cries believing that he is a baby coyote.

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Kino wanted to sell the pearl so his son Coyotito could have a good life and education, he could own a gun, so he and Juana could have a real wedding, but soon after Kino’s love for his begins to change. ¨He struck her in the face with his clenched fist and she fell among the boulders, and he kicked her in the side¨ (Steinbeck 59). After

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970 Words | 4 Pages

At the beginning of the novel, Kino is represented as an honest man who chooses to do what is right over doing what is wrong, but by possessing the pearl he changes. “Oh, my brother, an insult has been put on me that is deeper than my life. For on the beach my canoe broken, my house is burned, and in the brush dead man lies. Every escape is cut off. You must hide us, my brother’ ”

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1146 Words | 5 Pages

He blindly trusts that people will not succumb to greed or treat him differently “Kino, so that he became curiously everyman 's enemy... The neighbors looked at the pearl in Kinos hand and they wondered how such luck could come to any man.” (23-24) In this quote we can see how Kino showed everyone in his village the pearl and they all became his enemy in a sense because greed had overtaken them.

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At the beginning of the story, Kino is a kind-hearted man who cares for his family. At the climax of the story, Kino is very greedy, selfish, violent, scared, and he doesn 't seem to care that much about his family. At the end of the story, he realizes his sins and wants to become a good man again. At first Kino hears “…a song now, clear and soft, and if he had been able to speak of it, he would have called it the Song of the Family.” (Steinbeck, 6).

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When Kino first finds this pearl of the world he instantly imagines all the things he could do with this new wealth. “And to Kino the secret melody of the maybe pearl broke clear and beautiful, rich and warm and lovely, glowing and gloating and triumphant. In the surface of the great pearl he could see dream forms.” p. 26 When Kino firsts finds the pearl he is overcome with joy and surprise and instantly sees dreams of wealth.

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478 Words | 2 Pages

When Kino, Juana, and Coyotito are running from the trackers and decide to hide in a cave, Kino goes out in the night and fights the first trailer for the rifle and shoots all three of the trackers. Internal Conflict Juana had to decide whether get rid of the pearl because it was evil or side with her husband, Kino and keep it. Kino does not want to take Coyotito to see the doctor because, he doctor look down on Kino and the other people like him. Kino has to get passed his hatred because he is desperate to get Coyotito medical attention.

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