The Pearl Greed Research Paper

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Recommended: Introduction about greed in society

In today's society, we are always told that our greed can affect the way we think and act. It is often told that greed can lead to a person taking advantage of family and loved ones in order to gain what he or she strongly desires, but we were never told the results of allowing greed to take control of us. Steinbeck explores the concept of greed and its effects in his novel, The Pearl, through the main character, Kino, and his family. Kino’s son, Coyotito, gets stung by a scorpion and is taken to a doctor that requires a high payment. Kino and his wife, Juana, find a pearl which Kino decides to bargain for a high price. Other villagers try to steal the pearl as a result of Kino hiding the pearl until a high enough price was offered. Kino’s …show more content…

First viewed as a beautiful and valuable prize, Kino’s pearl is used as a device for Steinbeck to drive the parable in The Pearl. Kino saw “the great pearl, perfect as the moon,” (Steinbeck 19). Kino saw the value in the pearl, and thus he wanted to get the most money he can out of it. The greed that was inside Kino took control of his actions until he sees Coyotito shot and killed, snapping Kino back to reality. As a result of what happened to his son, he sees that, “[the pearl] was gray and ulcerous,” (Steinbeck 89). Kino can’t see the pearl the same way he does at the start of the novel. In order to convey Kino’s view of the pearl, Steinbeck uses imagery to convey to the reader the results of Kino’s greed distorting …show more content…

Kino is first characterized as a strong and fierce man that cares very deeply for his family. When a scorpion stings Coyotito, he “had it in this fingers, rubbing it to a paste in his hands,” (Steinbeck 5-6). Kino eliminates and overkills any treat to his family, showing the fierce and protective side of his character. After gaining the pearl however, his thoughts and emotion take over his judgement as he tries to bargain the pearl for a high price. Juana sees his actions as a problem, leading her to attempt to throw away the pearl for the safety for the family. However, Kino “leaps at her and catches her arm and wrenches the pearl from her,” (Steinbeck 58-59). The pearl has clouded Kino’s actions, causing him to even attack his own life to keep the pearl. Kino characterizes from a man who protected his family aggressively into a man who is willing to take any action to keep the pearl and gain a fortune from

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