Unit 1 Essay “Every man has a treasure.” The Pearl was written by John Steinbeck, and “The Treasure of Lemon Brown” by Walter Dean Myers. Kino is very happy at the beginning, and then starts to get bad, because of when he finds the pearl, and he starts out by being violent. Greg Ridley was so excited to play basketball, but then he realizes there are things more important. Both Greg in “The Treasure of Lemon Brown’” and Kino from The Pearl go through life experiences that change their ideas of what is important.
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
John Steinbeck was a very powerful writer during the Great Depression who wrote many short, yet dense stories describing the struggles people faced during the 1930s, especially the book’s The Pearl and Of Mice and Men. One similarity that is found in both of these books is the theme of pursuing a dream, however, the stories differ when it comes to the element of characters. Although Steinbeck’s writings were masterpieces, their main purpose were to give a voice to the ones in poverty. Both books tell compelling stories about two men, George from Of Mice and Men and Kino from The Pearl, who have their future in their hands, but unfortunately lose almost everything.
In The Pearl John Steinbeck places a greater emphasis on the idea of greed and how it is a destructive force whereas Of Mice and Men centers on the friendship between Lennie and George. The characterization of Kino presents himself as a materialistic individual by the end of the novella where he transforms from one of innocence to one of being corrupting and contaminated by greed. Kino’s canoe symbolized his link to his tradition and culture however with the destruction of the canoe reinforces Kino’s detachment from his culture as he has become perverted by his pursuit of wealth. The motif of the animalistic imagery of Kino reinforces in how man changes because of greed. Kino’s people seem poised for a similar destruction, as the materialism inherent in colonial capitalism implants a love of profit into the simple piety of the native people.
Corruption is dishonest or fraudulent conduct by those in power, typically involving bribery. Yet John Steinbeck said “Power does not corrupt. Fear corrupt… Perhaps the fear of loss power.” This quote means that if you are always trying to stay in power, then you might think that the littles things that people do are threatening your power.
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
Funny-Heart Wrenching-Engaging are the few words of many that describe the amazing literature work known as “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck. John Steinbeck is renowned for his many fascinating works and adept usage of descriptive details in his writing. He continues this trend in his award-winning book “Of Mice and Men.” From unhappy marriages, to mental disability, to overall displeasure in life, John Steinbeck goes in this book where many other author’s never choose to tread in the world of literature.
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
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’ ”
The longer the pearl is in the hands of Kino, more harm comes to the family, despite Kino’s belief that
Kino views many things as important in life but once he finds the pearl his values change.
‘When we sell it at last, I will have a rifle,’ he said, and he looked into the shining surface for his rifle, but he saw only a huddled dark body on the ground with shining blood dripping from its throat.” (Steinbeck, 72). This shows that pearls can’t destroy people, but people can. Kino was using the pearl for his own benefit. He even killed for the pearl.
This form of writing is typically referred to as social criticism. John Steinbeck, author of many notable novels, is often referred to as a social critic. Steinbeck presents messages about many issues through his writing. Throughout the course of Of Mice and Men and The Pearl, Steinbeck displays his commentary on clear flaws in our society, such as racism, ableism, prejudice against the poor, the marginalization of women, loneliness, and greed. Clearly, the inclusion of such controversial topics has brought much attention to these
The Pearl A pearl is worth a lot but is it worth the family. John Steinbeck, the famous American author, wrote the novella The Pearl. Money can make people greedy somtimes. they want to buy everything they want but they forget what is important in life to them. Throughout the book Kino changes what is important in life as he copes by resolving his internal conflicts.
These three characters became greedy after each of them wanted to do something different with the pearl. The doctor wanted to keep the pearl in his safe, probably knowing it was valuable. Kino wanted to keep the pearl whether or not it was bringing evil to his family. Finally, the pearl buyer was attempting to convince Kino that the pearl was worthless and they tried getting the pearl for less money than it was actually worth. Overall, three literary devices were used to describe the greediness of three different characters.
