The Pearl Essay

In the fictional novella, The Pearl, John Steinbeck illustrates a society where two different races struggle to maintain peace and equality. Specifically, the town of La Paz Mexico, foreigners trapped the Native American population in an endless cycle of poverty and labor. However, Kino finds a grand and valuable pearl, namely “The Pearl of the World” and hopes to use it to achieve independence for his men. However, he ultimately had too much to overcome, as the foreigners seeked to maintain the status quo with any means necessary. Foreigners trapped Native Americans in a ruthless cycle of poverty for generations by controlling every aspect of town’s social hierarchy. In particular, the doctor, pearl buyers, and priest seeked to maintain the

When the doctor is asked to treat Coyotito’s scorpion bite, he responds, “Has he any money?’ the doctor demanded. ‘No, they never have any money. I, I alone in the world am supposed to work for nothing - and I am tired of it.” The doctor states that the Natives never have any money. As a result, he receives no money for his hard work, which makes his work futile. The doctor’s greed pushes him towards maintaining the status quo - his main concern is money, and he is willing to do anything to have as much as possible. In addition, his excessive desire for money is visible when he tries to steal Kino’s pearl, evident when he states, “Do you keep this pearl in a safe place, perhaps you would like me to put it in my safe?” in a blatant attempt to steal the pearl. The doctor’s motive to steal the pearl stems from his desire to receive money - unlike the pearl buyer or the priest, who strived to increase their power. While it is evident that the doctor is attempting to steal the pearl, it hints at the fact that the doctor shows little sympathy for the Native Americans and would willingly steal it if he could - which would maintain the status quo and keep the Native Americans trapped in their cycle of poverty and labor. However, Kino sees through his attempt to maintain the status quo and steal the pearl, and refuses to give it to him. The doctor claimed that