Pathetic Fallacy The Pearl

The wind swirled, the skies turned black, and the trees whipped against the side of the gabled house where the infuriated girl yelled at her sister for stealing her favorite top…. Weather can be almost a character in literature. Whether positive and calm or dramatic and negative, it can hold up a mirror to human emotions; this is called pathetic fallacy. John Steinbeck's novel The Pearl takes place in La Paz, a town located next to the ocean and mountains. The novel follows the story of Kino, an indigent pearl diver who finds a valuable pearl and falls victim to the evils that come with it. In The Pearl, John Steinbeck uses pathetic fallacy to illustrate the progression of Kino’s fluctuating mood as the pearl slowly darkens his mind and mental

At the very start of the story, Steinbeck writes, “the stars still shone and the day had drawn only a pale wash of light in the lower sky to the east” (1). Steinbeck uses the “wash of light” to evoke a sense of hope that is within Kino. The use of light serves as a symbol of life, positivity, and happiness. As the sun rises, the reader is introduced to Kino’s connection to his community through the setting. Steinbeck writes, “Kino heard the little splash of morning waves on the beach. It was very good–Kino closed his eyes again to listen to his music. Perhaps he alone did this and perhaps all of his people did this.” (1, 2). This vivid description of Kino’s surroundings utilizes the tool of pathetic fallacy to convey the emotion of glee to the

And rightfully so, as the community “began to manufacture venom, and the town swelled and puffed with the pressure of it” (23). The community is slowly turning on Kino and Juana with jealousy and envy. This atmosphere surrounding Kino and Juana is turning toxic. The significance behind the “swelled” and “puffed” makes use of imagery that reflects the ugliness and loathing growing within the community. The following night, Kino is irrationally anxious about his surroundings; Steinbeck writes, “He had broken through the horizons into a cold and lonely outside. He felt alone and unprotected, and scraping crickets and shrilling tree frogs and croaking toads seemed to be carrying the melody of evil” (28). In this part of the story, now the night has a negative and eerie connotation–even mentioning how the night seems to be carrying the melody of evil. With the word choices of “scraping crickets” and “shrilling tree frogs,” it makes the connection back to nature and the fearful atmosphere behind it. Also, adding how he felt “alone and unprotected” builds on how he is anxious to be in nature at this