Improvement is a notion drilled into the heads of the human race. Whether it is a work, school, or anywhere else, people always try to best themselves. But when does the constant desire to strive to become better turn to out of control ambition? Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea and John Steinbeck’s The Pearl help show is that accepting one’s current situation is better than a constant desire for improvement, particularly when that desire turns into needless ambition.
Santiago from The Old Man and the Sea shows this needless ambition through the risks he put himself through to catch the fish of his dreams. After 84 days of not catching a fish, Santiago goes out to sea to find one. While he is successful in catching a huge marlin, the risks he went through to keep it were anything short of insane. After hooking the fish and realizing it would put up a great fight, he decided to still keep the fish on the line and rest that immense pressure on his back for several days, his suffering documented clearly within the story: “It encouraged him to talk because his back had stiffened in the night and it hurt truly
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He is captivated by its beauty and lets himself be consumed by its promise of power. This is shown several times throughout the story. One example of his obsession with the pearl occurs when his brother suggests getting rid of the pearl, where Kino replied, “If I give it up, I will lose my soul” (Steinbeck 67). It truly shows how far gone Kino really is. Another example of Kino’s obsession with the pearl is when he beat Juana when she tried to throw the pearl back out to sea. Overall, the pearl’s illusion of grandeur combined with Kino’s obsession for a better life caused his strive for improvement to become out of control
He is driven by greed, so much so that he could even see dreams form in the pearl. Kino is the head of a modest household and until he finds the pearl he lives a satisfied life with all he needs for his family to be happy. As soon as Kino finds the pearl he starts to want possessions he never wanted before. He dreams of education for Coyotito, marrying Juana in a Catholic church, purchasing new clothing for his family, and getting a harpoon and a rifle for himself. “It was the rifle that broke down the barriers . . . for it is said that humans are never satisfied, that you give them one thing and they want something more” (Steinbeck 32). Located within a small poverty-stricken community, a pearl diver named Kino finds “the Pearl of the World” and becomes suddenly rich, he begins to want items that he thought were impossible before. As Kino thinks more and more of what the pearl can do for him, he starts to think that it will raise his social status as well. This is only the beginning of Kino’s greediness, for the more he gets, the more he will want, and this begins to dehumanize him. Kino focuses on the wealth of the pearl and causes him to change his values about life. In the beginning, Kino is only focused on his family, once Kino finds the pearl he becomes more focused on the pearl, rather than his family. Kino cares a lot more about losing the pearl rather than something bad happening to his loved
For all of these reasons, Kino is a fool. The death of his son, the destruction of his house and canoe, and the loss of his pearl is all his fault. He easily could have avoided all 3 of those things by never even taking that pearl and just throwing back into the ocean when he knew and could sense that it was evil. If I was in Kino’s place I would have sold the pearl as soon as I could to have to the highest bidder just to get rid of it and to make some money since the pearl was evil. THat way my family would still be alive and my canoe and house would still be
The pearl symbolizes many different things. To Kino, at first it symbolized happiness and hope. On page 39 in chapter 3, it has stated, "So lovely it was, so soft, and its own music came from it- its music of promise and delight, its guarantee of the future, of comfort and security. Its warm lucence promised a poultice against illness and a wall against insult. It closed a door on hunger." Kino sought happiness and riches, and as he was desperate he was blind to the greed that was enveloping him. All he saw was impossible hopes and dreams in the pearl. In other words, to him, the pearl guaranteed money and the comfort of a tranquil life.
Kino found one of the most valuable and precious pearls in the world and being convinced of its worth was not going to be cheated by only minimally upgrading his condition of life. Instead he wanted to break the fixed life and role that he and his family had and always would live. Kino refuses the maximum offer of fifteen hundred pesos that would easily ease his and his family’s pain and suffering for the coming months. Kino is then determined to trek to the capital to find a fair and just offer. Kino continues determined through the mountains after an attempt at the pearl, his canoe destroyed and his hut set a blaze. Continuing to put his family’s life on the line. It eventually takes the death of his beloved son Coyotito to make him realize he needs to stop being so greedy, no matter how hard he tries and to shut his mouth and know his role.
A while later Kino was attacked by another man who wanted the pearl for himself and defended his pearl by killing the man. It is around this point in the story where Kino displays his greatest point of greed and selfishness.
Readers can tell from the statement that many of the people Kino encounters after finding the pearl become bitter “friends”. At this point, Kino and Juana begin to realize that the pearl is bringing bad luck upon them. They are taken advantage of by the doctor and he decides to visit them after knowing they have the pearl. “This pearl is like a sin”(56). Juana begins to realize the pearl is bringing them bad luck, but Kino still trusts that it’s a gift. Readers can also assume that people are trying to take the pearl when Kino is suddenly attacked during the night. “Blood oozed down from his scalp and there was a long…”(56). Readers can now confirm that the pearl has changed and now represents evil. The pearl also begins to destroy Kino and Juana’s relationship as they have different opinions on what to do with the pearl. After Kino wakes up and follows Juana when she wakes up and walks out, readers know he has started to lose full trust in her. “He rolled up to his feet and followed her silently as she had gone” (58). Through the symbolism of the pearl and what it brings upon Kino and Juana, the author emphasizes how the pearl is not what it first appears to be, which was
For example, when Juana argues with Kino about the pearl, she tells Kino, “The pearl is like a sin” (38). The pearl is compared to a sin using a simile and reveals how Juana truly feels about the pearl as it connotes evil, envy, and greed. This supports the fact that the pearl converts Kino and that it isn’t benevolent. In addition, when Juan Tomas tells Kino to leave the pearl, Kino tells Juan, “The pearl has become my soul” (67). Kino is shown to have an obsession with the pearl and that it controls him. His commitment to the pearl connotes obsession, delusion, and compulsion. The pearl and it’s hold on Kino is why he is dehumanized as the book progresses
Kino is hopeful in the beginning of the novel, and the power of the pearl is purely good. When he finds the “Pearl of the World” he begins to think his luck has turned for the better. Coyotito appears to be healed and Kino decides he will keep the money from the pearl for his family, but when they return to the doctor he advises Kino and his wife, Juana, to have the baby treated. The baby is treated and they plan to pay the doctor t...
In The Old Man and the Sea, Santiago, an old Cuban fisherman, pits his strength against forces he cannot control. We learn from Santiago's struggles how to face insurmountable odds with bravery and courage. Though we find an indifferent and hostile universe as Santiago's stage, his unwillingness to give in to these forces demonstrate a reverence for life's struggles. Santiago's struggle is for dignity and meaning in the face of insurmountable odds. His warrior-like spirit fights off the sharks full-well knowing the fate of his marlin. Santiago loses his marlin in the end, but his struggle to keep it represent a victory because of the dignity and heroism with which he carries out his mission. However, as Santiago acknowledges, he is almost sorry he caught the marlin because he knows the animal and he have a great deal in common as fellow beings in nature. However, he only caught the marlin "through trickery" (Hemingway 99). Santi...
When Kino looks into the reflection of the pearl, he only sees himself and the echoing of the Song of Evil. As neighbors come to see the Pearl of the World, Kino holds the pearl tightly in his palm. The Song of Evil blasts over the excitement of the town. But when Kino loosens his grip on the pearl or lets someone else hold the treasure, he hears the Song of Family. This symbolizes Kino’s obsession and lust for the luxurious pearl and the wealth which comes with it. Kino turns into a different man when he is around the pearl. He believes the pearl is his greatest treasure, when in reality it is his greatest enemy. The Songs help tell the story of the shattering of Kino’s thoughts and emotions. The pearl destroys Kino and turns him into a man who is fixated with money and engulfed with
An example of Kino’s newest behavior is when he physically attacks Juana to get the pearl back. “He struck her in the face with his clenched fist and she fell among the boulders, he kicked her in the side.”(59) In the beginning of the story Kino believed that the pearl would bring him and his wife closer. He believed that they would get married and their son would go to school and they would be a happy family because of the pearl. Unfortunately, things don’t go as Kino had planned them and the pearl causes Kino to act hostile towards his family, which results in the start of them growing apart. Kino is starting to value the pearl more than he values the safety and happiness of himself of those closest to
He woke up every morning, and sat outside to enjoy the beautiful morning sunrise, with the animals around him. When sitting with his wife to eat, they would eat in a peaceful silence. When Kino appreciated the moment, he enjoyed the little things. However, the pearl changed Kino's behavior. After he gained the wealth of the pearl, he became anxious. He didn't sleep soundly anymore, and was on constant alert. Kino actually admitted to this, when he said "everyone..." when his wife asked him who he feared (Steinbeck 36). Before the pearl, Kino was relaxed, and appreciating of the moment. Sadly, the greed for the pearl poisoned his mind. Since he was consumed in it's wealth, he was protective of it, willing to risk anything for it, letting it corrupt his lifestyle, and his mind. Nevertheless, Kino was not the only one affected by
The problem in this story is that Kino is trying to sell his pearl and every one bids a low price. That means he keeps it longer and everyone is trying to steal it from him. The conflict is man vs. man the reason why is that a lot of people are trying to steal it from him the day he got it. It went to the point that people were tracking him for it and attacking him in his sleep.
This leads to change and, eventually, downfall. Before he finds the pearl, Kino “was a well-liked man” (43), and adored by all of his neighbors. Everyone looked up to his kindness and sympathy, but when he finds the Pearl, he changes. The pearl takes control over him, and he becomes too obsessed with getting his money. He loses his many things over it: “now it is my misfortune and my life and I will keep it” (66). The neighbors even suspect, “‘what a pity it would be if the pearl should destroy them all.’” (43) For example, KIno loses his family when he tries to protect the pearl and defies the pearl buying system, and when he mishandles Juana. Loisng his canoe symbolizes thi sloss of his family. He also loses his sanity. he beats Juana and kills four men. He “‘killed a man’” (61) and joins in many fights. For greed, he turns down the salesman`s offer for the pearl and ends with nothing left. Kino has the chance to take the money offered to him and be done, but he is greedy and he wants more. Then, at the end of the book, Kino throws the pearl into the sea, and with it, all the money he could possibly gain. He also lets the doctor treat Coyotito, even with his doubts, and now can not pay him because the pearl is his payment method, which is now gone. He thinks his money is secure, and in his mind, he is a rich man. This is not necessarily true, as readers learn, and because he was so secure, he must now pay for unnecessary
Kino goes to sell his pearl, accompanied by his neighbors, but the pearl dealer only offers a thousand pesos when Kino believes that he deserves fifty thousand. Although other dealers inspect the pearl and give similar prices, Kino refuses their offer and decides to go to the capital to sell it there. That night, Kino is attacked by more thieves, and Juana once again reminds Kino that the pearl is evil. However, Kino believes that he will not be cheated, because he is a