“The Pearl” is a novella written by the famous American author John Steinbeck and published in 1947. The story was originally published in an issue of ‘Woman’s Home Companion’ magazine and is the re-imagining of a Mexican folk tale that Steinbeck heard while traveling in La Paz, Mexico in 1940. The novella is considered a parable as it illustrates an instructive message about the evils of greed and lust. It is considered one of Steinbeck’s most famous works and was made into a Mexican film named “La Perla” in 1947.
The crowd breaks up after this and Kino and Juana are left standing at the gate, terrified, ashamed and furious at being dismissed. Kino strikes out at the gate in anger, bloodying his knuckles. Kino and Juana have an idea to go down to the ocean and dive for more pearls with the hope that they will find one big enough to persuade the doctor to help Coyotito. Out on the beach, a long string of blue and white canoes wait in the sand. Crabs and lobsters scuttle along underneath them. Stray dogs and pigs scavenge for dead fish in the sand. The family finds Kino’s canoe, which is an heirloom from his grandfather. The canoe is Kino’s only asset in the world. As they get in, Kino lays a blanket down for Coyotito and Juana covers him with her shawl in order to protect him from the harsh sun. Juana pulls some seaweed from the water and gently applies it to her son’s wound.
Kino pushes the canoe away from the shore and the two paddle out to sea. In no time they come across other canoes searching for pearls. The others have gathered around the nearest oyster bed. Kino dives into the sea and collects oysters while his wife stays in the canoe and prays for their luck to change. Kino stays underwater for more than two full minutes, gathering all of the shells he can. He picks up an oyster that is not only very large but has a strange “ghostly gleam”.
Kino climbs back into the boat and his obvious excitement worries Juana. “It’s not good to want a thing too much”, Steinbeck writes in this passage, “It sometimes drives the luck away. You must want it just enough and you must be very tactful with God or the gods”. But try as she might stay aloof, Juana stops breathing as she waits for Kino to open the oyster with his knife. Inside is a large pearl, “as large as a seagull’s egg”. It is the biggest pearl that either of them has ever seen. What’s more, when Juana goes to check on Coyotito she finds that the swelling in his shoulder has gone down and the poison is receding from his body. Juana screams in shock and Kino yells at the top of his lungs with emotion. At the noise, the other canoes begin to paddle over to see what the commotion is about.
In town, the pearl is called, “The Pearl of the World” and news of Kino finding it travels quickly. People in the town of every social class – whether they are a priest, a beggar or a businessman – the dream of owning the pearl themselves and how it would improve their life.
The doctor also dreams of owning the pearl. He wants to use it to get back to Paris where he once lived. Kino and Juana know nothing of the jealousy of the townsfolk and only celebrate their good fortune with family and friends. When Juan sees the pearl he asks his brother what he will do with his sudden windfall of money. Kino tells him his very specific plans for the future. He intends to have a proper marriage to Juana in a church, send Coyotito to school, buy new clothes for his family and a new harpoon. Juana is especially surprised by the addition of Coyotito’s schooling to the plan. Kino is somewhat surprised by it himself but stands by it. The neighbors stare at the pearl in amazement.
Dusk falls on the town. The local priest stops by to bless the household. He asks that the family remember the church in their new prosperity. Juana informs him that they intend to marry in his church and the priest thanks them and leaves. After he leaves, Kino is suddenly overcome with an odd feeling. He begins to feel as though something bad is going to happen. He takes the pearl and keeps it close as he huddles underneath a blanket. The reality of the situation begins to sink in for Kino as he realizes that his family has no security and is now in danger of being robbed for the pearl.
The doctor and his servant appear and ask after Coyotito. Kino tries to refuse but the doctor sinisterly hints at the possibility for a renewal of the infection, Kino finally relents and lets him in. Juana is suspicious of the doctor, but Kino attempts to soothe her. The doctor examines the baby and explains that he has found complications. He administers a capsule of medication to Coyotito. He claims that the poison will show a resurgence within the hour and that without the medication the child may die. After this, the doctor leaves and promises to check back in one hour on Coyotito’s progress.
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