John Steinbeck’s The Pearl, starts off by introducing a simple family living by the sea. Kino, a diver whose skills have been pasted down from generation to generation, his young wife Juana, and his son Coyotito who gets bitten by a scorpion and falls deathly ill. At this point in the story the dilemma truly unfolds. Kino goes out the next day to do some diving, ironically he finds a pearl that seems to be very large and will bring him great wealth, at least that’s what he thinks. This part of the story is where things get a little twisted. That morning the doctor was supposed to come over and take a look at Coyotito, instead he did not come. Then when Kino finds the pearl the doctor is at his aid very quickly and administers a potion to Coyotito that is supposed to help him with his spasms. Moreover, I feel this is the very first conflict in the story and the first sign of greed that came with the pearl. Why is it that the doctor did not come that morning? Secondly, why is it that as soon Kino finds the pearl, the doctor is there in a couple of minutes with a cure, and then non-chalantally asks about payment.

Another event that happened to Kino was that one night he decided to bury the pearl underneath the fire hole in the house, and surprisingly an intruder comes in and there is a fight leading to Kino chasing him away. At this point Juana feels that the pearl is evil and they should get rid of it.

The following morning another complication occurs. Kino and Juana decide to take the pearl into town to sell it to get rid of the bad luck that has come with it. All of the dealers knew that Kino was coming and all bid low on the pearl. Kino then decides to take that pearl home and then return the next day to sell it at the capital. The next hardship that the pearl brought them was when Kino is attack by vandals. The turnout leaves Kino killing a man over the pearl and having to hide out at his brother Juan Thomas’s house because he was afraid of being labeled a murderer. Furthermore, Kino, Juana, and Coyotito all set off on a trail. Kino then notices that he is being traced, so at night Kino decides to attack one of the men, which wakes up another one that has a gun and he fires and kills Kino’s son, Coyotito.

Michael Cooper
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