• Embed Doc
  • Copy Link
  • Readcast
  • Collections
  • CommentGo Back
Download
 
Ben Chong Jason SorrellEnglish Acc, period 319 January, 2009A Changed ManIn the novella, The Pear l , by John Stienbeck, Kino, a poor but contentpearl diver leads a simple life with his wife, Juana and son Coyotitoin La Paz,Mexico. His son is injured and Kino looks for a way to pay a doctor to helphis son recover. He discovers an amazingly large and luminescent pearl onone of his dives. After finding the magnificent pearl, his life spins out of control and Kino’s attributes and character change for the worse. This is aclassic story of good versus evil. Steinbeck shows in the beginning how Kinois still fighting for good. In the middle, the pearl lures Kino away from hisfamily towards wealth. At the end of the story Kino is devastated by thechoices that he makes. Kino is a man whowants the best and moves intodanger to make it happen. “On the battlefield of life, winning requiresmoving towards the sound of the guns.” Nevt Gregorovich. He finds himself however, a changed man because of his choices.In the beginning of the story Kino is fighting for good. For example, anevil scorpion crawls towards the basket where his baby sonsleeps. He stingsthe harmless infant, Coyotito, before Kino can react to the scorpion.Steinbeck states, “then snarling, Kino had it in his fingers, rubbing it to apaste in his hands. He threw it down and beat it into the earth floor andbeat it with his fists,” (5-6). This shows the battle between good and evilbecause Kino destroys something evil that is threatening his family. If he
 
Chonghad not killed the scorpion then he would have let something evil in thatwould hurt his family even more. Kino decides to takes Coyotito tothedoctor because of the scorpion sting. The author describes, “Kinohesitated a moment. This doctor was not of his people. The doctor was of arace, which for nearly four hundred years had beaten, and robbed, anddespised Kino’s race, and frightened it too, so that the indigene camehumbly to the door,”(9). This shows Kino didn’t want to go to the doctor forhelp but knew he had to because his son was getting worse. Unfortunately,because he was poor and had no money to pay, Kinowas rejected by thedoctor. Kino goes out to pearl dive in hopes that he will find a pearl to paythe doctor. Later on he finds an extremely large and luminescent pearl thatis very beautiful. “He looked past his pearl and he saw that the swelling wasgoing out of the baby’s shoulder, the poison was receding from his body. Then Kino’s fist closed over the pearl and his emotion broke over him. Heput back his head and howled,”(20). Kino is very happy because he hasfound the pearl of the world and he will not have to use it to pay thedoctorbecause his son is recovering. Thus far, Kino thinkshis life is going to be wonderful. In the middle of the novella, Kino starts tofall prey to the persuasions of the pearl he has found. Visions of what hecan acquire fillhis head. Kino and his brother Juan Thomas discuss thepearl,” What will you do when you become a rich man”(24)? Kino responds,“we will be married in the church… We will have new clothes…Perhaps arifle,”(24-25). This shows how the pearl and it’s worth is luring Kino awayfrom his simple life towards more possessions. Little do Kino and Juana his2
 
Chongwife know that there are others who seek to have this pearl. “Kino felt cloth,struck at it with his knife and missed, and struck again and felt his knife gothrough cloth, and then his head crashed with lightning and exploded withpain,”(37-38). Now Kino fears for his family and the pearl. After Kino isattacked he and Juana start to look at the pearl differently. Juana sees it aswretched so Kino takes it to the pearl buyers and tries to sell it. He lovesthe pearl all most as much a he loves his family and rejects the buyersoffers because he believes they are too low for this magnificent pearl. “I amcheated,”Kino cried fiercely. “My pearl is not for sale here. I will go perhapseven to the capital,”(52). Juana starts to fear the pearl because she sees achange in Kino’s attitude towards everything. He would not take any of thepearl buyer’s offers even though it isa lot of money and could change theirlives. He was now greedy. He was once content with what he had and nowhe sees his one chance at a better life trying to be taken away from him.At the end of the story, Kino’s brush hut is burned down to theground, and his canoe that waspassed down from generation to generationis destroyed. Kino believes it is the same men who attempted to kill himand steal his pearl. Kino has to leave his village to protect his family and hispearl. As they are traveling out of the village, Kino notices that they arebeing followed by trackers. Steinbeck describes, “In the distance he sawthree figures. two on foot and one on horseback . And a chill of fear wentthrough him, trackers,”(74). These men were to follow Kino and then stealthe pearl from him. They have rifles and he has only his knife to defendhimself and his family. Kino knows they are close to his camp and makes3
of 00

Leave a Comment

You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...
You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...