“The most potent weapon of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed” - Steve Biko. In John Steinbeck’s The Pearl, the native Mexican protagonist, Kino Tomás, who -- as well as his fellow inhabitants -- is labeled as inferior, endures the unfortunate journey to regain autonomy. In their society, the Europeans, otherwise acknowledged as the superiors, intentionally share a narrow scope of knowledge with them, for, regarding Biko’s expression, it is easier to take advantage of minds that are uncertain of the truth. As he discovers this, Kino perceives that he cannot return to a once simple yet content life. He understands that his people are greatly in need of a savior to bless them with the life they deserve, and sees it as his duty to play …show more content…
For instance, when Kino displays the Pearl of the World to his people, he confidently declares that Coyotito “will read and open the books,...will know writing...and...make numbers,” which “...will make [them] free because he will know…and through him [they] will know”(33). This conveys that Kino providing an education for his son would be revolutionary, for it is understood that, with such ignorance, the people of the brush houses have not attended school. In other words, this is the doing of the Europeans: while these people are easily taken advantage of, it is almost inevitable that the Europeans would want to keep them poor, so Kino’s race must depend on them. Additionally, when they have not received an education, they are viewed as having a lower social rank, and are given little respect. With such challenges as these, the people of the brush houses are denied most means of employment from those of higher rank, hence having to provide for themselves. Because of this, they are trapped in a cycle of poverty, which could be broken if one of their kind was to go to school -- which is the reason why Kino puts faith in Coyotito. Therefore, when many, especially the Europeans, repeatedly assault Kino to acquire the Pearl of the World, Kino “[makes] a hard skin for himself against the world”(38), preparing for a fight despite the fact that he “would drive himself against a mountain…[and] the mountain would stand while [he breaks] himself”(77). The significance of this is that Kino, to follow through with the plan of freeing his people, willingly turns against his superiors. Yet, the Europeans, like a mountain, are formidable, whereas Kino is tenuous, and has only his persistence that propels him to move forward -- such persistence for this “dream of the future” which he claims “[is] real,” and so, it being “real,” he believes it is