The Pearl
Throughout life and in society, man has acquired a fascination and appetite for wealth. This is greatly displayed in the non-fiction novel, The Pearl, written by John Steinbeck, which shows the destruction of man's life through greed. Throughout the novel we are entrapped in the lives of Kino, Juana, and young Coyotito, a poor family living in the city of La Paz. They live a simple, secluded life, and are surrounded constantly by the "song of the family." This sense of security and comfort is suddenly halted, when a scorpion suddenly appears on the hanging box of Coyotito, bringing the "song of evil." The family becomes understandably scared and Juana begins to chant sacred prayers in safety of their beloved child. In an attempt to save his child, Kino "leaped to catch it, but it fell past his fingers, fell on the baby's shoulder, landed and struck." They attempt to be treated by the doctor, but are turned down because of their financial difficulties. This story contains much drama and excitement, partly because of the suspense Steinbeck builds throughout the story. An example of this suspense comes when the family is forced to earn money in order to have their baby treated. As a pearl fisherman, Kino and Juana immediately s
Evil begins to take over the lives of Kino and Juana. Kino is first attacked in the night, followed by the burning of their house and even worse, his canoe. Juana sees this as a sign of evil and tries to rid the family of this curse, by throwing the pearl back into the ocean. But greedily, Kino beats his wife, and explains that they must sell the pearl in order to escape the poor life that they live. The pearl had already changed Kino and destroyed their home; the "old life was gone forever." Trying to get away from this evil that has been haunting his family since the discovery of the pearl, Kino and his family leave on a journey "out into the world." Traveling, only at night, Kino soon realizes that they are being followed by trackers sent to kill them. They temporarily hide in a cave, but know Coyotito will not remain silent through the night. As Kino attacks the three men, a shot is fired into the air, enraging Kino. He is victorious in killing them, but is startled by a cry, a "cry of death." The next part of the novel includes the struggles Kino and Juana face with their new found wealth. It now seemed that everyone in the little town of La Paz was interested in receiving their portion of the wealth. The doctor began visiting the family, as well as the local
Some common words found in the essay are:
Kino Juana, La Paz, Juana Kino, , John Steinbeck, kino juana, Juana Coyotito, lives kino juana, la paz, lives kino, sell pearl, night kino, pearl world,
Approximate Word count = 861
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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