Submitted By

Name: Sonjoy Boishnab

Reg. No. 2016236066

4th Year 1st Semester

Session: 2016-17

Submitted To

Sumaiya Ahmed

Lecturer

Department of English

Date of Submission

28th December 2020

Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet

 John Steinbeck’s novel The Pearl is a great example of symbolism where the Pearl itself

is a symbol and its meanings are changed at different times of the novel. As the symbol is the

only possible expression of some invisible essence, its meaning varies from man to man

according to their perceptions and gives them a certain revelation about something totally

opposite. Such as, the pearl was a symbol of beauty at the very beginning of the novel,

everybody sees it as a perfect object of natural beauty. But, when the story moves forward, its

meaning started to change and became a symbol of financial worth to everybody.

Moreover, the pearl becomes a symbol of hope to Kino through which he dreamed a lot

about marrying Juana properly in church, buying new cloths for family, sending his son to school

and so on. Instead of becoming hope, the pearl becomes a symbol of destruction, for which a

series of disasters happen to Kino and his family. Furthermore, this novel is also a symbol which

represents Spanish colonization over Mexico. Besides, Steinbeck intentionally put a few more

symbols in this novel to make the readers think in a wider angle such as, the scorpion is a symbol

of evil, the doctor is a symbol of colonial oppressor and the canoe is a symbol of tradition.

On the other hand, allegory is one of many possible representations of an embodied thing,

or familiar principle by means of symbolic portrayal. Steinbeck uses allegory in this novel to

reveal the truth that objects like the pearl are not inherently evil rather, people's perceptions,

motivations, and actions impact the positive or negative energy surrounding a specific material

object. The doctor, priest, pearl dealers, and trackers represent greedy, selfish individuals to

portray the scenery of how insatiable desire for wealth brings evil into Kino's peaceful life and

eventually ruins his family.

 The allegorical representation of this novel focuses on the nature of greed and illustrates

how material wealth can corrupt individuals. As Steinbeck intended to portray the most familiar

principle “Grasp all loss all” through his symbolic and allegorical representation so it is true to

say that W. B. Yeats pre mentioned quote is highly reflected in this novel.