Student Submitted: Miss Namfar, Preme

Subject: English 1 (ENC1001)

Instructor: Ms. Stacey Bush

Module 2
Purpose and Persuasion

Assignment 7: The Pearl by Steinbeck

3 Chapters and Prediction of the end
Parable Analysis

"The Pearl" by John Steinbeck, first distributed around the second world war. The story is a
re-visioning of a folktale, sometimes termed a parable.

The Good, the evil, and the End

The story commences with two characters waking up, and it shows how Steinbeck's
protagonist in this story treasure the goodness in the natural order. Steinbeck is describing an
idyllic morning — at least for Kino, who gets to sit around patrolling ants while, Juana his
obedient wife, always awake before him, sets about cooking their breakfast. Juana, whose
name indeed translates into 'woman,' signifies a female prototype that complements Kino's
male archetype. As Kino observes his family, he considers that is the "whole," the
completeness of everything he truly wants. This is notable, for this early happiness opposes
with the following fright that Kino and Juana will taste once they endure promise for a better
future with the "Pearl of the World." The representation of everything good for Kino is his
happiness and his family, which we can observe from this following quote "Kino could see
these things without looking at them. Juana sang softly an ancient song that had only
three notes and yet an endless variety of intervals. And this was part of the family song too.
It was all part. Sometimes it rose to an aching chord that caught the throat, saying this is
safety, this is warmth, this is the Whole." Kino's physical and spiritual presence was closely
connected with the natural world. He lives in the skirmish house, and he find the way to raise
his family by being a pearl diver. Nature trope is a crucial component of this story. Kino
fused his perception of the world of his garden during the first chapter in the opening scene,
and again the world of the ocean and seashore in the second chapter. Throughout the story,
whenever Kino has an expressly instinct, he hears a song in his head. That resembles that
sentiment when he's happy with his family and when he found his family life the hope of
brighter future with the Pearl he discovered through the song, and it represents the "good"
that Kino still has through his instinct tunes as described; "...the music of the pearl was
shrilling with triumph in Kino." Suddenly later describe the dream this couple has for their
son; "In the pearl, he saw Coyotito sitting at a little desk in a school, just as Kino had once
seen it through an open door." From this quote, we can see that the Pearl is the symbol
of "goodness, purity, and hope" as much as Coyotito represents "innocence of humanity" as
an innocent child whom the parents put their hopes and dreams upon - just like how God
might have put the faith on our humankind purity and goodness.
 In the first chapter, when the doctor said, "Have I nothing better to do than cure
insect bites for 'little Indians'? I am a doctor, not a veterinary." The way he refuses to save
Coyotito at the start of the story because Kino lacks the money to pay him and he think very
little of the native people by comparing their children to ‘animal’; signifies colonial pride and
tyranny malicious and egotistic. The doctor displays an appallingly inadequate and self-
centered mindset that is made terrifying by his unshakable confidence in his superiority over
Kino's. And by the power that he endures to save or destroy lives, Steinbeck unquestioningly
alleges the doctor of such destructive vanity, excess, and greed. The settlers that run Kino and
the native people are proved to bring about the damage of the ethnic communities' virtue,
devotion, and purity. Kino's people seem self-assured for comparable disruption as the
materialism integrated with colonial capitalism implants a love of profit into the unsullied
devotion of the native people. John Steinbeck raised two potencies that urbanized human life
and set distinctive destiny. The story depicts a world in which, for the most part, humans
formed their own futures; they provide for themselves, follow their own wishes, and make
their own plans. Kino and Juana's life-changing redeemable the moment the Scorpion, a
representation of malicious fortune, bites their child, their lives. And difference irreparably
recur, the second Kino discovers the Pearl that used to be an emblem of good future and
turned into the evil presence in this simple native couple life. As stated in the passage, "The
news stirred up something infinitely black and evil in the town; the black distillate was like
the Scorpion, or like hunger in the smell of food, or like loneliness when love is withheld.
The poison sacs of the town began to manufacture venom, and the town swelled and puffed
with the pressure of it." Although It is not because of fate but human action in the form
of greed, ambition, and violence that facilitates the story's calamitous possible final outcome.
The story drew the situation clearly in this passage; "This thing is evil," [Juana] cried
harshly. "This Pearl is like a sin! It will destroy us," and her voice rose shrilly. "Throw it
away, Kino. Let us break it between stones. Let us bury it and forget the place. Let us throw
it back into the sea. It has brought evil.

It is pretty clear how this story will continue as Kino attempts to obtain wealth and
prestige through "The Pearl," he metamorphoses from a delightful father to a ruthless
criminal. Exhibiting the way ambition and selfishness destroy integrity, Kino's goal to earn
prosperity degrades the Pearl's, true exquisiteness, and good blessing, converting it from a
representation of hopefulness to an image of mortal carnage. As Kino's indulgence and the
selfishness of others led to a string of disputes around the Pearl. Kino views himself trapped
between the compulsions of fate and the forces of humanity. Amongst the destiny handed
him by accident and the opportunity he pursues to create himself. Besides, Kino's indulgence
indicates him to act violently toward his spouse, it probably will also lead to his son's
misfortune. And finally, it may come to the point of Kino's disinterest from his cultural
tradition and his community. Because he feels like everyone will turn against him as
manifested in the second chapter on the following passage. "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 lusts, the hunger, of everyone,
and only one person stood in the way and that was Kino, so that he became curiously every
man's enemy." It is clearly shown that Kino turned to a crazy man after he possessed the
Pearl and the happy family he used to perceive as everything he needed is not enough for him
anymore. Kino became a paranoid person with his greed. "He felt alone and unprotected and
scraping crickets and shrilling tree frogs and croaking toads seemed to be carrying the
melody of evil. Kino shivered a little and drew his blanket more tightly against his nose. He
carried the Pearl still in his hand, tightly closed in his palm, and it was warm and smooth
against his skin." Steinbeck described Kino's feeling as if he cannot find happiness
anymore, and Kino becomes alone and afraid, which sure would turn into the madness
eventually.