There could be many themes to ¨The Pearl¨ by John Steinbeck. Those could either be about greed, wealth, family, etc. But, just one word does not best explain the moral of this story. I would say that the theme to this novela is: ¨The need for your loved oneś safety, and for wealth, could either make you (and your actions) good or evil.¨ In the beginning of this passage, Kino lived a happy life with his family. Sure they didn't have a lot of money, nor did Coyotito have an education, but they still had each other. Then their lives completely changed when a scorpion stung their son. In chapter one, it says, ¨And one of the streaks fell on the hanging box where Coyotito lay, and on the ropes that held it. It was a tiny movement that drew their eyes to the hanging box. Kino and Juana froze in their positions. Down the rope that hung the baby´s box from the roof support a scorpion moved slowly. His stinging tail was straight out behind him, but he could whip it up in a flash of time……Kino's hand leaped to catch it, but it fell past his finger, fell on the baby's shoulder, landed and struck……Coyotito screamed with pain in his box.¨ (517-518) This excerpt is just the beginning of when their lives fall apart. …show more content…
The doctor couldn't help, but what really destroyed them is when they found The Pearl (Of The World). ¨Kino deftly slipped his knife into the edge of the shell,¨ the story reads in Chapter 2. ¨……Kino lifted the flesh, and there it lay, the great pearl, perfect as the moon……It was the greatest pearl in the world.¨ (525) From then on, their lives were taken away from them. 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