The Pearl

The Pearl is a novella by the Nobel Prize in Literature winner John Steinbeck. This classic of American literature was published shortly after the Second World War, in 1957. In fact, Steinbeck started writing the book after he came back from the battles, where he served as a war correspondent. It illustrates how naive and poor people falsely believe that wealth can solve all their problems.

In the first chapter, the author presents the main characters and sets the trigger of the story. Kino, a poor pearl diver, lives in the village of La Paz, located in Mexico, with his wife Juana and his little boy Coyotito. The catalyst of the story is when the infant is stung by a scorpion. Unable to afford a doctor that would cure his son, Kino decides to take his grandfather's canoe and dives in the Gulf to find pearls which could later be sold to pay the doctor's fees. Miraculously, he finds "the great pearl" (p.19), "a pearl such as one has ever seen" (p. 35). Kino and his wife start planning what they will do with the money from the pearl's sale. On their list figure getting married, buying a riffle, baptising Coyotito, sending him to school and of course, curing him. Soon, the whole town knows about Kino's discovery. The doctor that had first refused to treat the infant, comes to do his job, now sure that he would get paid. Later that night, Kino feels a presence in his house. Here is a great example of foreshadowing, when Juana says "[The pearl] has brought evil. Kino, my husband, it will destroy us." (p.38) The next day, Kino goes to a pearl buyer to sell his precious treasure and begin a new life. However, Kino does not receive the evaluation he expected. Indeed, the buyer tells the poor man that his pearl has little value. Kino, thinking he is being cheated, consults other dealers, who give him the same answer: his pearl is a monstrosity. After the sun goes to sleep, Juana attempts to throw the pearl in the Gulf, but is stopped by her husband who violently hit her. A few moments later, Kino kills a man who tries to steal the pearl from him. In the morning, they find their house burning and their canoe broken. They decide to escape, but soon realize they are being followed by three hunters. Kino manages to kill the hunter with one's riffle, but not after the armed man shoots Coyotito. Kino and Juana come back to their village and throw the pearl into the water. The precious treasure that was supposed to give Coyotito a better life actually lead to his death.

In conclusion, we really enjoyed reading this novel. We thought the author's message had a lot of sense in our current society. We appreciated the description because they allowed us to better picture the story.

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