The Pearl Greed

Have you ever wanted something so badly that you would do almost anything to get/keep it? Then you know just how the doctor, Kino, and even the villagers of Kino’s town feel. In John Steinbeck’s novella, The Pearl, Kino, a poor fisherman, who’s son is in dire need of medical care, finds something that could make his life a whole lot better, the pearl of the world. The biggest, most perfect pearl anyone of this small village has ever seen. Many of the villagers want to steal Kino’s pearl and keep it for themselves, and even Kino would do anything to keep the pearl. Materialism and greed left unchecked can lead to immoral behavior, such as violence, as well as tearing an entire community, and family, apart. Kino, the doctor, and even some of

Others are upset because Kino is unraveling the social structure they have built up. For example, the people of the Gulf have very strong religious beliefs and they think God wants them to be poor, but Kino says he wants a rifle, which none of the poor people in his village have, but of course the rich people have them, and Kino wanting one is like a dog wanting a cat for christmas, unthinkable. Secondly, the book states that “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 lust, the hungers, of everyone and the only one person stood in the way and that was Kino, so that he became curiously every man’s enemy.” (23) Everyone is thinking about how they would use the pearl, and that they could have it if Kino wasn’t there anymore. They could have anything they wanted if they had the pearl, all they had to do was take Kino out of the picture. Lastly, Kino was attacked three time by the people he thought were his friends. The first two didn’t end that badly, but the last time someone ended up dead, not only that but someone burned down Kino’s house, after searching for the pearl and coming up empty handed, and destroys his precious family canoe. These villagers show that greed can make people do

First of all the “doctor” tells Kino and Juana, Kino’s wife, that he was called off to a serious case, which was a lie, just because they were natives and didn’t have that much money and he didn’t want to treat them for free. Plus he’s racist and calls the villagers animals. Then, when Kino finally get some money he says “ He is a client of mine,” “ I am treating his child for a scorpion sting.” (22) even though he just said he wouldn’t treat them because they were poor, showing that he just wants their money. Finally, he poisons the baby, when Kino tells the doctor the child is cured the doctor gives the baby a “check up” and then poison him just so he could make them pay for his “treatment”. Who poisons a baby? Someone who will do anything for money, which Kino is starting to turn into, a greedy little